Ghaziabad: GDA orders cancellation of seven plots in Indirapuram MLA scheme

Ghaziabad

The vice-chairperson of the Ghaziabad development authority (GDA) has directed for cancellation of allotment of seven plots in Indirapuram after several of them were found to be allegedly allotted to family members, relatives and acquaintances of a former GDA secretary, authority officials said on Wednesday.

Officials said that the directions were issued in pursuance of Allahabad high court orders in a PIL (public interest litigation) filed in 2012, and subsequent directions given by the principal secretary of UP housing and urban planning department.

“A meeting was held regarding the allotment of plots, reserved for MLAs, to other persons in violation of rules. An inquiry committee was constituted and based on its recommendations, we decided to cancel the allotment of plots. The cancellation of a total of seven plots will be taken up. Some of these features name former GDA secretary whose family members/relatives etc, got the allotment done in violation of norms,” said Atul Vats, GDA vice-chairperson.

Officials said that the allotments were done in a plot scheme in 1997, which was meant only for allotment of plots to MLAs. It is alleged that in the seven instances, the allottees got their original allotments converted to obtain plots in the MLA scheme in alleged connivance or on directions of the former secretary.

The authority, in a press statement on Wednesday evening, shared the issue and findings of its inquiry.

In one instance, the authority said that a family member of the former secretary got an allotment converted from Rachna in Vaishali to the Indirapuram scheme. “The allotment was not only found irregular and illegal but would be considered as an attempt to give undue benefit. As a result, the allotment of the plot was cancelled,” the statement said.

The authority said the plot was allotted in the name of the wife of the former secretary and changes were made seven years after the scheme’s launch.

The authority said, “The allottee has never clarified the position by appearing before the authority during the investigation... It appears that the allottees wanted to get both the building and the plot registered in their favour by cheating the authority. The allotment of the plot referred to in the case was found to be irregular and prima facie, liable to be cancelled.”

Officials said that in certain allotments, allottees got plots registered through fake or forged unregistered power of attorneys, with an inquiry conducted by the divisional commissioner (Meerut) in April 2011 also highlighting the issues.

In the case of another plot of the seven, officials said that a conversion was made to the Indirapuram scheme from GDA’s Karpuripuram housing scheme after a gap of 14 years.

In another instance, officials said that the plot was allotted to the brother of former secretary.

“We will wait for the directions from state officials in case any FIRs/legal proceedings are to be initiated in the fake allotment cases,” Vats said.