Ghaziabad: Probe ordered into land purchase under Delhi-Meerut Expressway project - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Ghaziabad: Probe ordered into land purchase under Delhi-Meerut Expressway project

Hindustan Times | By, Ghaziabad
Aug 21, 2017 11:10 AM IST

Taking cognizance of the complaints, divisional commissioner (Meerut) has ordered an inquiry and has directed the Ghaziabad district magistrate to submit a report within 15 days.

The land belonging to several villages in Ghaziabad and Hapur, acquired under the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) project, are under the scanner as several complaints of alleged misuse of official position by government officials have surfaced.

The divisional commissioner (Meerut) has ordered an inquiry into complaints that certain government officials allegedly connived with private persons and purchased land after acquisition notification under the Delhi Meerut Expressway project.(Sakib Ali /HT Photo)
The divisional commissioner (Meerut) has ordered an inquiry into complaints that certain government officials allegedly connived with private persons and purchased land after acquisition notification under the Delhi Meerut Expressway project.(Sakib Ali /HT Photo)

The complaints allege that certain officials allegedly connived with private persons and purchased land in the name of their relatives to earn huge profits after the compensation amount was increased manifold during arbitration.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Taking cognizance of the complaints, divisional commissioner (Meerut) has ordered an inquiry and has directed the Ghaziabad district magistrate to submit a report within 15 days. Nearly 266 hectares, belonging to 18 villages in Ghaziabad, were acquired under the Delhi-Meerut Expressway project.

“We have received several complaints that certain government officials, after the land acquisition notification, purchased land in the name of relatives and earned profits after the amount of compensation was increased during the arbitration stage. I have directed the Ghaziabad district magistrate to inquire and submit report within 15 days,” said Dr Prabhat Kumar, divisional commissioner (Meerut).

In December, 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for the 74km expressway project and upgrading of the 22km Dasna-Hapur section of National Highway-24.

According to official sources in the Ghaziabad administration, the notification for land acquisition was issued in 2011 and nearly Rs 442 crore has been awarded as compensation so far for the land acquired. The award of compensation started in 2015-16.

The sources said the sale and purchase of land belonging to several villages— Nahal, Dasna, Kushaliya and villages in Murad Nagar — is under the scanner.

The officials said the district magistrate has constituted a committee, comprising three senior district officials and will investigate the complaints.

It is alleged that certain officials connived with private persons and made profit after purchasing the land in name of their relatives. It is also alleged that the officials misused their position and divulged information about government policies to certain parties.

Until the first week of August, the Ghaziabad district administration has distributed nearly 1,909.1 crore as compensation. This includes the amount distributed under DME project, eastern peripheral expressway project and dedicated freight corridor projects.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    author-default-90x90

    Peeyush Khandelwal writes on a range of issues in western Uttar Pradesh – from crime, to development authorities and from infrastructure to transport. Based in Ghaziabad, he has been a journalist for almost a decade.

SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On