Farmers claimed that the sale of plots around the airport project site and around the road that connects Jewar with neighbouring district Bulandshahr is on an all-time high.
NOIDA Updated: Aug 14, 2019 00:56 IST
As the work on Noida International Greenfield airport project picks up some pace, real estate developers are illegally selling plots for housing projects around the Jewar airport site, local farmers alleged.
Farmers claimed that the sale of plots around the airport project site and around the road that connects Jewar with neighbouring district Bulandshahr is on an all-time high. They further alleged that Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority(Yeida) had failed to check the illegal plot sales.
“The 2km long stretch along the Bulandshahr-Jewar road, between Yamuna Expressway and Jewar town, has become home to mushrooming illegal housing projects and the authority is doing nothing,” Mukesh Singh, a resident of Ranhera village, said.
According to the Uttar Pradesh Industrial Act 1976, selling of residential plots or developing a housing project on agricultural land notified by the state is unauthorized.
In 2017, some property agents had started selling the land where the Jewar airport is proposed to be built. Yeida had then filed FIRs against the suspected developers and stopped the sales. Officials rule permit only the Yeida to carve out residential areas in the area and sell the plots for residential use.
However, as the authorities have started acquiring land from farmers in the area for the project, the illegal sale of plots seems to be back in business again.
On August 6 this year, the Yeida and the Gautam Budh Nagar administration started taking possession of the agricultural land in six villages— Ranhera, Parohi, Rohi, Kishorpu, Dayanatpur and Banwariwas. The UP government on October 30, 2018, had notified the acquisition of 1,239.14 hectare land for the development of the airport in these six villages in the first phase of the project.
The Noida International Airport Limited has started levelling soil in Ranhera village as part of taking over the land’s possession. The move seems to have ignited hope among real estate consultant that the development of the airport could provide them with opportunities for business.
Real estate consultants are approaching people through short text messages, phone calls and have also put up hoardings on Jewar-Bulandshahr road to lure potential customers. Residents around the area allege that depending upon the location, developers are selling a 100 square metres plot between₹8 to ₹15 lakh depending upon the location. The rates are, however, not fixed.
“It depends on how well you negotiate with a broker while purchasing a plot. There is no fixed rate as the sale follows no regulations. Those behind the unauthorized plot sales are either from Delhi or Haryana and also includes some local people who have land near the airport site. We see people taking interest in these sales as they feel the airport will help them in providing a good return over investment,” Davendra Sharma, a farmer leader from Banwarivas village, said.
While farmers allege that illegal sale of plots is rampant in Jewar, Dankaur, Rabupura, Bankapur and other nearby villages, Yeida officials said they have already initiated action in the matter and are adopting stricter measures to check any unauthorized sales.
“We have issued notices to six persons, who were involved in the illegal sale of plots and construction under section 10 of UP industrial developmental act-1976. They have submitted their reply in response to our notice. But their response was unsatisfactory and we also found that they there were developing housing localities without any permission,” Navneet Goyal, officer on special duty, Yeida, said.” Later, we submitted complaints with the police for registering cases against them. But at the Jewar police station, the police did not file an FIR against the six. We are now writing to senior superintendent of police asking for an immediate FIR against the six developers.”
Goyal said he has received various complaints, from Jewar, Gopalpur, Dankaur and other villages, of illegal plot sale and construction near the airport site. “We will take strong action against those involved in this illegal act. They cannot develop illegal colonies or sell plot like this,” he said.
Senior superintendent of police Vaibhav Krishan refused to comment on why no FIR has been registered in the matter till now.