Noida: GNIDA recommends suspension of six officials for irregularities in plot allotment

                Noida: Greater Noida Authority has recommended the suspension of six officials, including managers and assistant managers, for alleged irregularities and procedural violations in the 
allotment of residential plots under a scheme launched two years ago. In Feb, the Authority had recommended the suspension of five more officials, including an SDM, over similar 
allegations.
In 2023, a scheme for residential plots, spanning 9,660 square metres, was launched by the Greater Noida Authority at Patwari village in Sector 2. Applications were called in and 
allotment letters issued, despite the Authority having possession of just 1,660 square metres.
The issue came to light when two of the allottees found that the plots for which they were issued allotment letters in April 2023, executed lease deeds and given possession certificates 
between Nov 2023 and Jan 2024, officially did not belong to the Authority.
In a case filed last Nov in the Allahabad High Court, the allottees claimed they made full payment for the plots but were informed 80% of the land mentioned in the scheme was still in 
the possession of farmers. The allottees claimed they had repeatedly requested the Authority to either hand over the plots originally allotted to them or alternative ones, but did not get 
any resolution.
In a Jan 23 order, a high court bench of justices Manoj Kumar Gupta and Anish Kumar Gupta expressed strong displeasure over the Greater Noida Authority's actions, terming it as a 
"misrepresentation and deceit".
GNIDA had then told the court it did not have any vacant land to offer to the two plaintiffs, and instead, proposed to refund the money with 4% simple interest, as mentioned in a clause 
of the brochure.
The court, however, found the response unsatisfactory. The bench said it was "incomprehensible" that such a large-scale scheme was advertised and executed without physical 
verification and legal ownership of the land. It observed the Authority's stand was "inconsistent"—initially exploring the option of alternative plots but later backtracking—which reflected 
a "lack of transparency" and "accountability".
The bench described the Authority's conduct as "arbitrary and reckless", questioning how the Authority could advertise, allot, and lease plots of land over which it had no legal claim.
It also sought an explanation from the Authority's CEO, asking why exemplary damages should not be imposed and officials responsible for the mismanagement should not be held 
accountable.
"We require the CEO of the Authority to file an affidavit and show cause as to why the Authority and its officers should not face exemplary damages for having acted in such a reckless 
and fraudulent manner, and why responsibility of the officers for such an act should not be fixed. The CEO of the Authority in his reply shall disclose the names of officers who were 
responsible for advertising the plots and undertaking the exercise relating to the execution of lease deeds without confirming the title of the Authority over it," the Jan 23 order read.
In response to the court's order, CEO Ravi Kumar NG submitted a detailed affidavit, internal note sheets and copies of the recommendations to the govt for the suspension of five 
officials.
During the March 19 hearing, Kumar informed the court that a seven-member committee, headed by additional CEOs Saumya Srivastav and Sreelakshmy VS, constituted to 
recommend remedial measures, had suggested that alternative plots would be allotted to the affected allottees, subject to their consent to surrender the originally allotted ones.
Based on its findings, the committee, which met on Feb 11, recommended the suspension of five officials—then senior manager (civil) Praveen Salonia; then manager KM Chaudhary; 
general manager RK Dev, and Jitendra Singh Birwal, who was then posted as tehsildar and is currently serving as SDM. A surveyor was also suspended. The panel noted the five 
officials had "failed in their duty to ensure due diligence in land verification and in the land acquisition process".
In the March hearing, the HC bench asked GNIDA to file an affidavit stating whether there was a policy or guideline that required the Authority to identify and verify land before 
advertising it for allotment or auction. It also asked the Authority to clarify if any such guideline was followed for allotting plots under the 2023 scheme.
The high court also asked UP govt to file an action taken report against these five officials.
On April 7, the state govt wrote to GNIDA, seeking a detailed report and the names of all officials found prima facie guilty. In a letter on April 11, GNIDA recommended disciplinary 
action against six more officials—then assistant manager (project) Vaibhav Nagar, then manager (project) Manoj Dhariwal; assistant law officer Vandana Raghav, then manager (law 
department) Atul Shukla, then senior draftsman (planning department) Suresh Kumar, and then senior executive (planning department) W Sukhbir Singh.
While the court heard the matter on Wednesday, the details were not immediately available.




Source : Times of India