The previous Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) Governments in Uttar Pradesh favoured private builders by selling Government land at throwaway prices, i.e below or at Circle Rates, in violation of rules. The beneficiaries included many in power.
Rajendra Tyagi, a Municipal Councillor alleged that Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) sold Government land to the private builders — Ansals, Uppal Chaddha group, Crossings Republik, landcraft, Utility Estate and Agrawal Associates who had evinced interest to develop townships in the city. “The sale deed of over 400 acre resumed land was executed in violation of rules,” he alleged, while addressing the media on Monday.
Terming it a thousands of crore of rupees scam, Tyagi alleged, “The UP Government rule states that the Government land resumed by the authority can not be sold to private builders. The motive of resumption of such land is to preserve the land for public utility services like hospitals, schools and power stations in future when builders develop townships or the city expands at its own.”
“One Government department can transfer the land to other department. But GDA resumed Government land on circle rates ranged from Rs1,000 to 1,200 per sq mt and sold to private builders on the same rate while the rate prevailed over Rs25,000 per sq mt,” Tyagi added.