Noida CEO Tandon given additional charge of Greater Noida authority

Greater Noida authority CEO Debasish Panda was transferred as additional secretary to the Union finance ministry. Farmers and the homebuyers are of the view that in the absence of a separate dedicated CEO for Noida and Greater Noida industrial authorities, public work may suffer

The Noida authority chief executive officer (CEO) Alok Tandon has been given the additional charge of the Greater Noida authority after its CEO Debasish Panda was transferred as additional secretary to the Union finance ministry.

Noida CEO Alok Tandon said he will be available at the Greater Noida authority office on Tuesdays and Thursdays. (Vinod Rajput/HT Photo)

Tandon will head the two important industrial authorities of the state. Since Noida and Greater Noida authorities are autonomous bodies, a CEO takes all the policy-related decisions.

At present, the twin cities — Noida and Greater Noida — need to address issues of farmers, whose land was acquired for urbanisation, on priority.

Also, around two lakh homebuyers, who failed to get their homes despite paying the flat cost to builders, are looking to the authority to get their flats.

Farmers and the homebuyers are of the view that in the absence of a separate dedicated CEO for the two important industrial authorities, public work is bound to suffer.

“We had high hopes from the new government when came into power in March 2017. But, in the last one year, the authority has not made serious efforts to resolve our grievances related with land compensation. Since the government does not seem serious about addressing our issues, we have organised a mahapanchayat on Sunday. We need a separate CEO for Greater Noida to look into our issues and take bold decisions,” Manveer Singh Bhati, a farmer leader, said.

Homebuyers also echoed similar views.

“In the last one year, the government has changed the CEO of Noida twice. Now, it has given additional charge of Greater Noida to the Noida CEO as if there is a shortage of officials in the state. The government should appoint separate CEOs for the two cities so that an official has ample time to look for solutions to the problems the city is facing. In the last one year, we have felt that officials are not keen on resolving buyers’ grievances,” Abhishek Kumar, president, Noida Extension flat owners’ welfare association, said.

Tandon said that he will try to resolve the issues in the two cities.

“I have decided to devote two days for Greater Noida and three days for Noida to carry out public work. I will be available at the Greater Noida authority office on Tuesday and Thursday. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I will remain in Noida. I will try to address all issues in the two cities,” Tandon said.