Yamuna Expressway authority approves Rs4,156-crore budget

The authority has promised to provide villages with municipal services on a par with urban sectors

The Yamuna Expressway industrial development authority (YEIDA) approved a budget of Rs4,156.13 crore for the financial year 2017-18 on Friday in its 60th board meeting.

The authority has increased its budget by Rs127.27 crore (HT Photo)

Last year, the authority had approved a budget of Rs4,028.86 crore.

“We have increased this year’s budget by Rs127.27 crore because we need to spend more on development in all departments. Our focus will be on development in both rural and urban areas. We will not discriminate between a village and an urban sector in terms of development and will integrate villages with urban areas. We will lay sewage lines and drainage and build roads and other facilities in 80 villages, on the lines of urban areas,” said Prabhat Kumar, chairman, YEIDA.

The authority has allocated Rs35 crore for capital expenditure, Rs1,132 crore for loan repayment, Rs1,172 crore for land acquisition, Rs1,190 crore for development works and Rs398 crore for revenue expenditure.

There are 80 villages along the 165-km Yamuna Expressway that connects Greater Noida with Agra. The YEIDA acquired agricultural land from farmers to build the expressway and develop urban areas along it.

The Uttar Pradesh government had established YEIDA in 2001 under the UP Industrial Area Development Act, 1976, with an aim to set up industries in the 2,689 square km area falling in six districts along the expressway.

“We are developing a smart city along the Yamuna Expressway and want to develop smart villages too. Our focus is on providing relief and better policies to farmers and allottees who have invested or are going to invest in the area. Since the panchayat system has been abolished in villages (falling under the authority), we will carry out all kinds of maintenance work in the villages on a par with urban areas,” said Kumar.

YEIDA has decided to provide municipal services in villages with the help of the district administration.

Apart from this, the authority will also investigate the issue of leaseback of land to people who do not belong to any of the 80 villages.

According to the norms, a portion of the land acquired by the government for a project is to be leased back to the owner, ostensibly for residential purpose. The market value of the land leased back thus increases, netting the land owner a huge profit. There are 400 cases in which non-farmers got land along Yamuna Expressway leased back to them after buying it from the farmer for cheap.

“Some influential persons from outside the villages bought land from farmers and got the same leased back by YEIDA officials in the last five years. Only a local farmer whose land was acquired for development is eligible for leaseback of the land. If investigation reveals that the land has been leased back to ineligible persons in violation of norms, we will take action against the officials responsible,” said Arun Vir Singh, chief executive officer, YEIDA.