The Supreme Court has directed Noida (New Okhla Industrial Development Authority) to initiate steps to annul the over-a-decade-old allotment of plots to MP Amar Singh, former UP Chief Secretary Neera Yadav, her two daughters, IAS officer Rajiv Kumar and Flex Industries limited, after finding serious irregularities in the allotment process.
In a judgement pronounced on Wednesday, a bench of Justices GS Singhvi and V Gopala Gowda directed the Chief Executive Officer of Noida to issue notices to the above persons within a period of 10 weeks. “The persons to whom notices are served may file their reply affidavits within next six weeks and the case be listed before the court after 16 weeks,” the bench ordered, while deciding a PIl by Noida Entrepreneurs Association.
The apex court found the allotments to be of “arbitrary character” which it demonstrated using illustrations to cite the deep conspiracy between the State Government at the behest of former Chief Secretary Neera Yadav and NOIDA Authority officials. Rajiv Kumar worked as Deputy CEO Noida at the relevant period. Both Yadav and Kumar have been convicted and sentenced in the Noida allotment scam, probed by CBI. Court found allotments were made to the same group of industries, M/s Flex Industries limited and M/s Flex Engineering limited which was “ex-facie illegal” as the law under UP Industrial Area Development Act 1976 did not permit allotment of more than one plot to the same person.
The company was allotted land in Group Housing Sectors 11 and 51. Another plot was allotted to former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh in the name of Flex Industries. Worse, the original allotment was of plot B-126, Sector 44 which was illegally converted into plot C-218, Sector 44. “The 1976 Act and the Rules framed thereunder do not postulate conversion of plot allotted in one category to the other,” the bench noted.
Most allotments were either allotted to or allowed to be converted to Sector 44, since land there fetched premier cost. For instance, Suruchi Yadav, daughter of Neera Yadav had an original allotment for plot No B-88, Sector 51 which was converted into plot A-32, Sector 44. Her other daughter Sanskriti also converted her plot within 2 months and 12 days. Court further observed that Noida authority converted Neera Yadav’s Sector 32 plot to Sector 14A having 450 sq meters within 24 hours of its original allotment. Similar was the case with Kumar, the court noted.