A municipal councillor has questioned the Ghaziabad Development Authority’s (GDA) policy for acquiring land for private developers.
He also made allegations of irregularities and pressure tactics during the land acquisition and land resumption for Uttar Pradesh government’s ambitious Hi-Tech City housing projects near NH-24 area of Ghaziabad.
At a press briefing in Ghaziabad on Wednesday, councillor Rajendra Tyagi, a former GDA board member, alleged that around 450 acres of Gram Sabha land in nearly 18 villages was in the process of being transferred to private developers after land resumption. Some of it has already been transferred, he alleged.
Land resumption is a process in which government land — with Gram Sabha, local bodies or with any other state or Central government department — is transferred to any other government body without the transfer of its ownership.
Tyagi alleged that in some cases, between 2006 and 2011, the Ghaziabad Development Authority acquired land from farmers under urgency clauses by the GDA, while in other cases, it acquired the land after public hearings.
He also slammed the administration for pressurising small and marginal farmers to give up their land with the help of police and PAC. He said that nearly 19 cases have been filed in the high court by about 774 farmers of the villages.
{{/usCountry}}He also slammed the administration for pressurising small and marginal farmers to give up their land with the help of police and PAC. He said that nearly 19 cases have been filed in the high court by about 774 farmers of the villages.
{{/usCountry}}Commenting on the issue, GDA vice-chairman Narendra Kumar Chaudhary denied allegations and said that no urgency-clauses were applied for acquiring of the land.
“We are acting in accordance of the state’s High-Tech policy and in public interest. We acquired the land after notifying under section 4 and 6 and by negotiating directly with the farmers. If anyone has objections, he can file and we will reply to it,” Chaudhary added.