Yeida to issue leases in JAL’s Special Development Zone

While Yeida has formed a monitoring committee and is preparing a revival plan, the appointment of a new construction partner remains on hold pending a Supreme Court hearing on July 19

The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida) on Thursday said it will execute fresh sublease agreements directly with developers whose projects fall within the Special Development Zone (SDZ) originally allotted to Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL).

The announcement follows a March 10 ruling by the Allahabad High Court that upheld Yeida’s 2020 decision to cancel JAL’s 1,000-hectare land allotment but protected the legal rights of sub-lessees — developers who had acquired portions of the Sports City land for housing projects. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photos)

The announcement follows a March 10 ruling by the Allahabad High Court that upheld Yeida’s 2020 decision to cancel JAL’s 1,000-hectare land allotment but protected the legal rights of sub-lessees — developers who had acquired portions of the Sports City land for housing projects.

“We have decided to execute the fresh lease after the high court’s decision… These developers can now apply through Yeida’s online portal to execute new leases with us,” said Arun Vir Singh, CEO of Yeida. “The court directed us to do so on the same terms and conditions as earlier agreements with JAL, but subject to recovery of any outstanding dues.”

The order, issued by a bench of justices Manoj Kumar Gupta and Kshitij Shailendra, also mandated that Yeida issue individual notices to all sub-lessees within four weeks, publish a public notice, and complete lease formalities within 12 weeks. Developers will then have eight more weeks to sign the new sub-lease deeds. To protect buyers, the court further ruled that Yeida must bear the cost of stamp duty and registration.

A total of 13 projects fall under this directive, comprising 10,134 approved flats and 3,230 residential plots across Sectors 19 and 25 — affecting an estimated 13,364 homebuyers. “The online portal for sub-lessees to upload documents is live, and the deadline for submissions is June 21 — the same as that for individual homebuyers,” Singh added.

Among the developers impacted, Gaur Sons’ two high-rise projects in Sector 19 account for 3,104 flats, and its plotted project in the same sector includes 3,230 plots — more than 2,200 of which have already been sold.

Other affected builders include Imperia Homes Planners (629 flats), and Royal Hometown Planners (480 flats).

The dispute dates back to February 2020, when Yeida cancelled JAL’s allotment over unpaid development charges dues.

JAL had won the SDZ land in 2008 to develop a sports and education hub centred around the Buddh International Circuit but failed to deliver. After years of litigation, the high court upheld the cancellation while safeguarding the interests of sub-lessees.

The court also directed Yeida to complete 12 partially built JAL housing projects under staggered timelines based on their stage of completion. While Yeida has formed a monitoring committee and is preparing a revival plan, the appointment of a new construction partner remains on hold pending a Supreme Court hearing on July 19.