Latest Property News on 'Noida'

Govt orders vigilance probe against Noida’s ex-officers

LUCKNOW: The state government on Tuesday ordered a vigilance inquiry against former officers of Noida and Greater Noida Authority who were found guilty of having amassed more wealth than their known sources of income.

This is addition to an ongoing inquiry, ordered by the Allahabad High Court, into the financial irregularities in land allotments, tendering and project clearances made by development authorities of Noida and Greater Noida.

Speaking to TOI, IIDC Anil Gupta, said: The heads of both authorities have recommended a vigilance inquiry into the assets of the named officials. In addition, the Income Tax department’s Director General (investigations), SS Bajpayee is in Noida to supervise the investigations personally. Based on his inputs and along with my own assessment, the state government’s report will be ready within a week.”

Income tax department officials, on May 11, carried out searches at the offices and residences of three general managers (GMs) of the Greater Noida Authority and a chief finance officer of the Noida Authority.

These officers are said to be close to some prominent people in the previous BSP government. The income tax department had also raided some establishments of the four builders after allegations of giving undue clearance to projects, land allotment, tenders and payment to builders were levelled against them. Raids were said to have been conducted following complaints of irregularities in projects worth crores of rupees and amassing wealth greater than their known sources of income.

Earlier, the Allahabad High Court had ordered an inquiry into the anomalous allotment of land, among other irregularities, by the Noida and Greater Noida authorities. Though the state government had then turned down a request for a CBI inquiry into the matter, the state government deputed top-level government officials to conduct an inquiry and report the matter. Though principal secretary, health and family welfare, Sanjay Agarwal, was made in-charge of the probe, the final report, along with a concluding statement, is now being compiled by AK Gupta, the current IIDC.

Land row: Noida, Gr Noida to move SC

Noida and Greater Noida Authority officials Tuesday said they would approach the Supreme Court after the Allahabad High Court on Monday rejected their demand to nullify its direction to give 10 per cent developed plots to those farmers whose land had been acquired. The Allahabad High Court had directed the two bodies to give develop 10 per cent of the farmers’ plots on October 21. The court told the two bodies that it could not hear an appeal on its own decision.

Officials of the Noida and Greater Noida Authority said they would appeal against the order in the Supreme Court as there were serious problems connected to the handing over of developed plots, including a huge financial burden. Officials added that the two authorities have different problems connected with the developed plots. While the Noida Authority has limited land available to give to the affected farmers, the Greater Noida Authority is short on finances.

Weary flat owners have sought intervention of the Prime Minister’s Office. “The last time after the Allahabad High Court judgment in October, we had hoped construction would begin soon, but that never happened. Now that the matter is going to the Supreme Court, we are afraid there will be problems again like last year. We have written to the PMO to set up fast track courts for all legal cases pertaining to land in Noida,” said Devender Kumar, president, Noida Extension Flat Owners and Members Association.

On Monday, farmers from the villages of Patwari and Badauli Bangar said they would approach the SC after their plea against the order which allowed authorities to acquire land from their villages in lieu of added compensation was rejected by the Allahabad High Court.

Rama Raman, CEO of the Greater Noida Authority, said, “In terms of land available, there is no problem with identifying and handing it over to farmers. The problem is the huge financial burden. Therefore, we will appeal to the SC after its summer break ends.”

However, Noida Authority officials said limited land was available to hand over to farmers. “Of 54 villages which come under the Noida Authority, we have been able to identify land for only about 20 villages. For the rest, we have drawn blanks.”

‘Wave Mega City Center project violating plan’

NOIDA: The Noida Authority has issued a notice to one of the city’s biggest commercial projects, Wave Mega City Center, and asked to explain why the company has dug deep at their construction site located in Sectors 25A and 32. The company has also been asked to explain why the activity was being conducted without the required layout and building plan permissions.

Coming down heavily on the organization, the Authority has also asked for an explanation as to why the dug up earth was being collected at the construction site. The Authority has alleged that the huge mounds of dug-up earth was causing a great inconvenience to the public, besides causing respiratory problems to people in the vicinity. “We issued a notice to the company on Monday for an explanation,” said a senior Authority official. The notice has also directed the company to close down earth digging with immediate effect.

Unhappy farmers go on rampage

NOIDA: After the Allahabad high court rejected the review petition of villagers in Noida Extension, a small section of farmers unhappy with the order went on a rampage targeting projects of several builders. Other farmers were, however, happy that the Allahabad high court had turned down the plea made by the Greater Noida Authority in its review petition to not dole out hiked compensation and developed plots to non-ancestral lands of villagers.

Soon after news of the order reached Noida Extension, some agitated farmers took to the streets and targeted under-construction properties of developers. They blocked traffic at the Gol Chakkar in Noida Extension for a few hours. The angry crowd was dispersed following police intervention. “After getting news about farmers agitating in the region, we reached the spot and our officials managed to quell the agitation,” said SP (Rural), Ashok
Kumar.

The police informed that no case has been filed into the incident of violence. “We are likely to register a case into the matter,” Kumar added.

Farmers’ counsel, Pankaj Dubey, informed that after facing rejection from the high court, where they had sought land to be given back to farmers, they would now challenge the October 21 verdict in the Supreme Court.

Other sections of farmers have expressed happiness over the fact that the plea made by Greater Noida Authority, vide its review petition, in which it had expressed its inability to pay hiked compensation and developed plots to all farmers has been turned down. The Authority had asked for relief from the high court in granting it order to pay compensation and plots only to those farmers who had ‘ancestral lands’ in the region as against ‘non-ancestral lands’ belonging to those who are not originally from the region but own land in different villages.

“The Authority had been trying to make a difference between ancestral and non-ancestral land in the region in giving compensation to farmers,” said Ranveer Pradhan, president of a farmers’ organization, Grameen Panchayat Morcha. “Not only was the Authority shy of giving any developed plots in lieu of acquiring ‘non-ancestral’ lands, they had also been paying 10% less compensation to owners of such lands. It is a matter of great satisfaction that farmers across the board are eligible to get 64% hiked compensation and 10% developed plots now that the high court has upheld its original order delivered on October 21,” said Pradhan.

The Grameen Panchayat Morcha said that there is a vast amount of land in the Noida Extension region which the Authority had classified as ‘non-ancestral’.

Akhilesh scraps Maya projects, SC/ST quota in govt contracts

The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday scrapped as many 26 welfare schemes and the policy of reservation in government contracts for Scheduled Castes and Tribes, launched by the previous Mayawati government, and approved a proposal to give a monthly unemployment allowance of Rs 1,000 to those above 30 years.

The government also made changes in the Ambedkar village development scheme and renamed it after the late Ram Manohar Lohia. Selection of villages for development under the scheme will be made on the basis of certain criteria of backwardness, and not the population of Scheduled Castes, as was the practice earlier.

The decisions were taken by the state Cabinet, with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in chair.

Unemployment allowance will be given to those unemployed people who have passed matric, are above 30 years of age and registered at an employment exchange until March 15 of the previous financial year. It will continue until the age of 40 years, or until a beneficiary finds job.

Only persons whose family income does not exceed Rs 36,000 annuallly, and whose parents’ income does not exceed Rs 1.5 lakh annually will be eligible. The money will be paid lumpsum once every quarter. The decision is likely to benefit an estimated nine lakh people in the first year and cost the exchequer Rs 1,113 crore.

As for the decision to scrap 26 schemes, an official announcement said it was taken after consultation with all departments to make the best use of available resources for speedy and inclusive development. It will make available Rs 4,861.72 crore for priority areas of the government.

Most of the scrapped schemes were named after Dalit personalities, including B R Ambedkar, BSP founder Kanshiram and Savitribai Phule. These dealt with urban development, housing, rural development, poverty alleviation, welfare of women and girl child, education, minorities welfare, social welfare and irrigation.

The most important among these were the Kanshiram Garib Awas Yojna for giving houses to the urban poor, Savitribai Phule Balika Shiksha Madad Yojan for giving financial support to school-going girls, and Mahamaya Garib balika Ashirwad Yojna for opening a fixed deposit for new-born girls belonging to BPL families.

The purpose of some of these schemes is similar to announcements made by the Samajwadi Party during the election campaign. Therefore, in all probability, such schemes will be tweaked and relaunched under new names, as has happened with the Ambedkar village development scheme. The decision to abolish reservation for SC and ST in government contracts was taken to promote competitive bidding and ensure quality.

Government seeks information on land allotment during Mayawati rule

Government seeks information on land allotment during Mayawati rule

NOIDA: Further tightening its noose on the ‘questionable’ actions and deals by the former BSP regime, the SP-led government has asked for details of some key land allotments in Noida during Mayawati’s tenure. The Noida Authority has received a letter from the government, asking it to be submit all the particulars by May 16.

The UP government plans to take action if any irregularities are found in the allotment of land under different categories like commercial, group housing and others. The recent visit by UP’s industrial development commissioner for reviewing various projects has expedited the collection of data. Details of the allotment process and rate have been demanded. Beneficiaries of non-transparent allotment of land in prime locations in Noida are also under the government’s scanner. These include a hotel in Sector 37, which has allegedly been built on gram sabha land, besides several other mega-projects involving builders’ nexus with the former government.

On Friday, the Noida Authority CEO, Sanjeev Saran, had directed that a committee be formed to probe allegations of corruption in sanctioning of nearly 150 projects over Rs 700 crore, which were all cleared during former CM Mayawati’s regime.

Saran had asked the committee to investigate all the projects worth more than Rs 1 crore, which were sanctioned up to December last year.

नोएडा में महंगी हो सकती हैं जमीन

नोएडा में महंगी हो सकती हैं जमीन

नोएडा ।। नोएडा में अथॉरिटी जमीन के रेट बढ़ा सकती है। इस मुद्दे पर अगले कुछ दिनों में बजट बैठक में प्रस्ताव लाने पर विचार चल रहा है। अथॉरिटी के आधिकारिक सूत्रों का कहना है कि चूंकि हाईकोर्ट के आदेश पर किसानों को 64 पर्सेंट अतिरिक्त मुआवजे का पेमेंट किया जाना है। इससे अथॉरिटी पर कम से कम साढे़ तीन हजार करोड़ का अतिरिक्त बोझ पड़ने वाला है। इसके अलावा किसानों को हर साल 1 अप्रैल से नई दरें भी दी जानी हैं। इस लिहाज से प्लॉट अलाटमेंट की दरों में बढ़ोत्तरी किया जाना जरूरी है।

वहीं इसके विपरीत कुछेक अधिकारी जमीन की दरें बढ़ाने के तर्क से सहमत नहीं है। उनका कहना है कि ज्यादातर बिल्डरों के 2 साल का मोरेटेरियम पीरियड समाप्त हो चुका है। बिल्डरों से वसूली में अथॉरिटी सख्ती बरते तो उन्हें जमीन की दरें बढ़ाने की जरूरत ही नहीं पड़ेगी। जानकारी के अनुसार नोएडा अथॉरिटी ने जमीन की दरें पिछले साल 23 मई को बढ़ाई थी। तब अथॉरिटी ने 10 पर्सेंट के करीब दरें बढ़ाई थी। ग्रुप हाऊसिंग की दरें भी 10 पर्सेंट के करीब बढ़ी थी। चुनाव को ध्यान में रखते हुए अथॉरिटी ने पिछले 6 महीने से कोई स्कीम लॉन्च नहीं की है। किसानों की एक स्कीम जरूर अक्टूबर में लाई गई थी। इसमें सारी प्रक्रिया अभी तक अधर में लटकी हुई है। जनवरी में अथॉरिटी ने बजट की सारी तैयारी पूरी कर ली थी। चुनाव आचार संहिता लागू होने के कारण इन तैयारियों पर मात्र चर्चा ही हो सकी।

आधिकारिक सूत्रों ने बताया कि अथॉरिटी ने 64 पर्सेंट मुआवजे की रकम देने के लिए बजट में 1500 करोड़ का प्रावधान किया था। अब चूंकि प्रदेश में सरकार बदल चुकी है लिहाजा सरकार की प्राथमिकताएं भी बदली हैं। जैसे शुक्रवार को प्रदेश सरकार ने माया सरकार की 46 प्रोजेक्ट कैंसल कर दिए। जनवरी में हुई बजट बैठक में माया सरकार के प्रोजेक्टों से जुड़े खर्चों का प्रावधान रखा गया था। अब इनकी नए सिरे से समीक्षा होनी है। सूत्रों ने बताया कि नोएडा अथॉरिटी जमीन के रेट बढ़ाने की इच्छुक है। इसके पीछे तर्क कुछ नए प्रोजेक्टों को लागू करने का भी है। इनमें यमुना नदी पर नए मेट्रो टै्रक का निर्माण , यमुना नदी पर 2 नए पुलों को बनाने की तैयारी , राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग नंबर 24 के आसपास अंडरपास व क्लोवर लीफ के निर्माण पर होने वाले खर्च के साथ ही किसानों को दिए जाने वाले मुआवजे के प्रावधान को ध्यान में रखा जा रहा है। अथॉरिटी में बोर्ड की ओर से तय नियम के अनुसार समीक्षा कर हर साल 1 अप्रैल से अधिग्रहीत की जाने वाली जमीन की दरों में बढ़ोत्तरी की जाती है। यह बढ़ोत्तरी मूल्य सूचकांक के आधार पर होती है।

-Navbharat times

I-T dept searches offices, properties of top G Noida officials, realty firms

Income-tax sleuths on Friday carried out searches at the offices and residences of three general managers (GMs) of the Greater Noida authority and a chief finance officer of the Noida authority.

These officers are said to have enjoyed “a considerable degree of clout” during the previous BSP government, which ruled between 2007 and 2012.

Searches were conducted at more than 30 locations, including those of four construction companies, in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad.

These officials are responsible for clearance of projects, land allotment, tenders and payment to construction companies. The raids were said to have been conducted following complaints of irregularities in projects worth crores of rupees. Raids were going on till late in the evening. The three GMs have also been looking after similar responsibilities of the Yamuna Expressway authority.

The searches were conducted following complaints of amassing of assets disproportionate to known sources of income. The teams are understood to have seized a large number documents and files but they did not disclose the details.

As early as on May 4, hundreds of farmers and residents, supported by NGOs and political parties, staged a protest demonstration in Greater Noida and alleged several authority officials were involved in scams, which took place during the BSP rule, worth crores of rupees and sought action from the chief minister. The authorities are already conducting departmental probes into several scams.

I-T officials reached the offices of Ravindra Singh (GM, industries), SSA Rizvi (GM, projects) and Lalit Vikram (GM, finance) at the Greater Noida authority at 8 am. Sleuths also reached the two houses of Ravindra Singh in sector Beta I (E-9) and Officers’ Colony in sector Gamma I in Greater Noida.

They later reached the houses of his brother Avnish Kumar in sector Gamma II and a relative, Manendra Kumar, in Harsh Apartments in Greater Noida.

I-T officials also reached Lalit Vikram’s house (B-133) in Noida sector 51 and SSA Rizvi’s house in Noida sector 41. The house (C-23) of Noida authority’s chief finance officer RP Barman was also searched in sector 50.

Four realty firms:
Amandeep Construction (Surajpur, Greater Noida), Kasana Construction (Noida), Manisha Construction (Ghaziabad) and Kashyapi Builders Pvt Ltd.

These companies have been given contracts by the horticulture department (Greater Noida), where a probe for financial irregularities is on, and the Yamuna authority.

Kashyapi Builders has done a lot of work at Gautam Budh University in Greater Noida.

Depts raise red flag to SP govt’s flagship land policy

As the Revenue Department is finalising a new land acquisition policy to fit in Samajwadi Party’s election promise of acquiring land at six times the circle rate, several government departments have expressed concern that any such move would artificially inflate the market rate thereby creating an obstacle to development activities. It will make projects unviable and hamper urban development when population pressure is increasing, several departments have conveyed this to the revenue department.

Among the departments that have raised the red flag are industry y, irrigation, public works and housing which undertake most of the land acquisition for various purposes.

Facing an almost unanimous concern over the issue, the Revenue Department has asked the departments and concerned authorities to work out the likely rise in the cost of the acquisition for the developer and the final purchaser, and how it would affect projects, if farmers were compensated six times the circle rate.

The idea of paying six times the circle rate was the SP’s response to farmers demand for higher compensation in western UP. The party argued that the rates at which various authorities sold land to developers and the rate at which developers further sold land to individuals were much higher than the one paid to the farmers.

Describing the argument as erroneous, an official said that it did not take into account factors like the investment made at every stage for value addition, the land that is left aside for common facilities, and the developer’s profit.

He pointed out that besides the rate paid to farmers, there are several factors which push up the cost of the land. Acquisition expenses, interest on loans taken for making the purchase, implementation of rehabilitation and resettlement policy, contingency costs, development expenses and other costs are added to the land cost when it is sold to a private developer or even when acquired for a government project. Further, the developer undertakes his part of development activities.

“What we are trying to explain is that raising the cost of acquisition six times will backfire’’, said a senior officer.

The circle rate of land is determined at the District Magistrate’s level after a survey of existing market rates at which land sales have taken place in the area and feedback from different people, including builders. The tentative rate list is made public and objections are invited. After consideration of the objections, the circle rate is notified. Under rules, the survey should take place at least once every two years, but in areas where market rates are changing fast, the rate is revised once or even twice a year.

Before the Mayawati government came to power, compensation for land acquisition was determined on the basis of latest land deals in the area. The Mayawati government enforced the implementation of rules which prescribed that the rate should be decided after an agreement between the farmers and the district administration.

Usually, this rate does not exceed two times the circle rate. “In fact, I have not seen an agreement beyond 1.5 times of the circle rate”, said an senior officer, adding, “Nowhere can the market rate be six times the circle rate, otherwise the very purpose of determining the circle rate would be defeated.”

Ajnara first to scrap project in Noida Extension

NOIDA: Given the continuing uncertainty over the fate of housing projects in Noida Extension, in a first-ever instance a prominent builder has scrapped one of its housing projects leaving a large number of homebuyers in disarray. Investors have now become wary that scrapping of the project might open a floodgate, wherein other builders might choose to back out if the stalemate continues.

A total of 76 villas – planned in three categories of 80, 100 and 120 square yards – in the Le Garden project of Ajnara Developers in Sector 16 of Greater Noida stand cancelled due to the continuing imbroglio. Around 75 of these villas had been booked by homebuyers. The average cost of a villa was around Rs 50 lakh.

“I had paid 10% of the total amount as booking charges and the developer asked me to stop further payments till the court cases were resolved,” said Rakesh Pandey, a businessman who stays in Vikaspuri in Delhi. “I was recently asked by the builder to take back my booking amount as they had scrapped the project,” added Pandey.

Most homebuyers in the project, who belong to middle-income families and have been left distraught with the decision, have been running from pillar to post in the last week, meeting officials of the construction company to figure out the next course of action.

“Construction on four 100 sq yard sample villas was in progress the last time we had visited the site. The dug up area had been filled up with rainwater and the builder had assured us that villas would be delivered within 18 months,” said K K Tripathi, a resident of Indirapuram, who had paid around Rs 8 lakh as booking amount. “The builder now says that it is in full right to cancel the project as per the terms and conditions of the builder-buyer agreement. The builder is pressuring me to take refunds, but has not issued an official letter of cancellation or termination yet,” he added.

Officials of Ajnara Developers have confirmed that the villas have been scrapped. A senior official said that the company was doing so because it had become economically unviable for it to continue with the project. “Any issue related to a construction project that lingers on for a long time without any signs of getting resolved becomes financially unviable in the long run,” said vice-president of Ajnara Developers, Vineet Sharma. “We have decided to scrap the project given this factor. However, we have offered certain options to the homebuyers to either take back the booking amount with a reasonable interest rate or to shift to any of our other projects,” said Sharma.

Industry bodies, however, expressed hope that this scrapping will not start a domino effect. “This project was planned on a very small portion of Noida Extension and may not have an impact on other projects,” said Ajay Chugh, director of Noida-based real estate consultant, Investors’ Clinic.