Noida officials get suspension creeps

Noida Authority (NA) officials involved in the execution of the Bhim Rao Ambedkar Memorial park are rattled by Uttar Pradesh government’s recent suspension of 16 of their colleagues, serving and retired.

Noida Authority (NA) officials involved in the execution of the Bhim Rao Ambedkar Memorial park are rattled by Uttar Pradesh government’s recent suspension of 16 of their colleagues, serving and retired.

HT Image

These officials were associated with the alleged allotment of sites for the construction of hotels at throwaway prices in 2007.

“We fear the same fate awaits us, especially if there is a change of guard in the state. It might happen even before the Supreme Court gives its verdict in the matter,” said an NA official who requested anonymity.

In its suspension orders, the state also directed authorities to file criminal cases against the accused officials.

The allotments were made during the stint of the Samajwadi Party’s Mulayam Singh Yadav as chief minister.

Mahesh Saxena, who runs a NGO Lok Manch, told HT: “In both cases, though there were approvals from the reigning state government, the NA officers behaved like puppets and implemented the projects without applying their own mind.”

Saxena said he failed to understand why the state governments acted only when it was about the act of a previous regime.

“The Supreme Court has rightly stated that Noida was being tossed over by Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati governments,” he said, adding the officers should wake up and honestly raise objections.