For Rs 720 cr pendency, GDA assigns monthly recovery targets to officers

GDA officials said that they had a pending amount of about Rs 720 crore, which is to be recovered. To realise the entire pending amount, the authority has set out monthly targets to its officers.

The cash-strapped Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has fixed monthly targets for its officers to recover dues from its customers on various accounts and withheld the salaries of 17 officers from June for their failure to meet the targets.

The officials said that the pending amount needs to be collected to take up projects and development activities in the city. (HT Photo)

The authority mainly receives income from sources like levy of compounding fee, sanctioning of map layouts and sales of properties, etc. The authority also faces a major challenge to dispose of its unsold properties, which is estimated to fetch them about Rs 1,600 crore.

GDA officials said that they had a pending amount of about Rs 720 crore, which is to be recovered. To realise the entire pending amount, the authority has set out monthly targets to its officers.

“In the current financial year (2019-20), we have fixed a target of about Rs 60 crore recovery per month that needs to be realised by our enforcement department officers. For the first four months (April-July), they have recovered about Rs 200 crore, which is short of target. As a result, the salaries of 17 officers, mostly the junior engineers, have been held up for the months of June and July,” said Kanchan Verma, authority’s vice-chairperson.

The officials said that the pending amount needs to be collected to take up projects and development activities in the city. “We need more revenues. That is why the targets have been set. Also, we have aboutRs 250 crore stuck with three developers. They have moved court contending that our calculation of pending amount has discrepancies. But we are contesting the cases,” Verma added.

The officials said that the authority also needs to pay up instalments for loans taken for the Hindon elevated road, and also to pay farmers for land procured for the Madhuban Bapudham housing scheme.

According to the officials, the authority has to pay about Rs 270 crore as loan instalment for the current financial year and Rs 138 crore has already been paid.