Ghaziabad: Delhi-Meerut expressway land scam inquiry to be finalised soon

Certain officials allegedly connived with private parties and purchased land in the name of their relatives, after notification was issued, to earn huge profits as the compensation amount was increased manifold during the arbitration

Officials of the Ghaziabad district administration will soon finalise their inquiry report on alleged irregularities in purchase of land for the Delhi-Meerut Expressway project. The divisional commissioner of Meerut had ordered a probe after receiving complaints in this regard.

The officials who are a part of the inquiry team refused to comment on the issue but said that the inquiry is in final stages. (Sakib Ali/HT File)

In the complaint made to the divisional commissioner, it was alleged that certain officials allegedly connived with private parties and purchased land in the name of their relatives, after notification was issued, to earn huge profits as the compensation amount was increased manifold during the arbitration. According to sources, nearly 450 sale deeds of land purchase are under the scanner.

“It has come to light that the land acquisition was done in August 2012 and the rate was decided at Rs1,100 per square metre. Later, some plots was sold at a higher rate, Rs1,700-Rs1,800 per sq m and the land was later put in arbitration, following which Rs6,000-Rs7,000 was paid per sq m,” an official source said.

As per law, the land, after the issue of a notification, vests with the acquiring authority and its sale or purchase are not allowed. However, the issue cropped up after complaints were made to divisional commissioner Dr Prabhat Kumar.

The officials who are a part of the inquiry team refused to comment on the issue but said that the inquiry is in final stages.

Dr Kumar said that necessary action will be taken once the inquiry report is submitted.

“We have received several complaints that few government officials, after the land acquisition notification, purchased land in the name of relatives and earned profits after the compensation amount was increased during the arbitration stage. I have directed the Ghaziabad district magistrate to inquire and submit the report within 15 days,” said Dr Prabhat Kumar had told Hindustan Times when he had ordered the inquiry.

A total of nearly 266 hectares, falling in 18 villages of Ghaziabad, was acquired for the Delhi-Meerut Expressway project. Sources said the sale and purchase of land belonging to several villages— Nahal, Dasna, Kushaliya and villages in Murad Nagar — is under the scanner.

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.