Noida authority in the dock for allotting temple land for residential use

The authority had on July 8, 2016, and August 20, 2015, allotted two plots in Bahlopur village on temple land with khasra number 181. The land is owned by the village and not the authority.

Even a year after a resident complained that the Noida authority had flouted land norms to allot temple land for residential purposes, no action has come on the complaint.

A resident of Bahlolpur village Sanjeev Sharma in 2016 complained to the authority and the Gautam Budh Nagar district administration against the illegal allotment of temple land for residential use.

The authority had on July 8, 2016, and August 20, 2015, allotted two plots in Bahlopur village on temple land with khasra number 181. The land is owned by the village and not the authority.

A resident of Bahlolpur village Sanjeev Sharma in 2016 complained to the authority and the Gautam Budh Nagar district administration against the illegal allotment of temple land for residential use.

As per the rules, the Noida authority cannot allot plots on a land that it does not own.

“No official has resolved the issue in the last one year. The 110 sqm of land is meant for the temple, a well and a peepul tree near sector 63B in government land records. The authority’s planning department wrongly allotted the land, despite the fact that it was not acquired and owned by it,” Sharma claimed.

Following complaints, the authority and the administration both started investigations to find out how the land was allotted for residential use.

“All villagers offer prayers at the old temple. Investigations revealed that the planning department officials violated norms. But top officials took no action against those officials,” said Rakesh Kumar, another resident of Bahlolpur village.

Villagers said even after they objected to the plot allotment, the authority constructed a wall to close the entry to the old temple.

“I met the Noida authority CEO Amit Mohan Prasad and other senior officials over the issue. I am making daily rounds of the authority office, but nobody is addressing the issue,” Sharma said.

The authority deputy chief executive officer Saumya Srivastava said the allottees will be given plots at another location.

“There is a temple, well and peepul tree on the land where two residential plots were allotted. We will allot these plots elsewhere to resolve the issue. The government will refund the stamp money, which was paid by the two residential plot allottees,” he said.