Noida: Over 1,400 SDS NRI Township buyers protest against builder's additional compensation demand

                Noida: More than 1,400 homebuyers of SDS 
NRI Township in Sector 26A off Yamuna 
Expressway have initiated a protest against the 
developer's demand for 64.7% additional 
farmers' compensation at the rate of Rs 8,746 
per sqm.
This demand by SDS Infracon will translate 
into an unexpected financial burden of around 
Rs 8-10 lakh for each buyer, despite a majority 
of them still lacking legal possession of their 
plots in the 125-acre township after more than 
a decade.
The controversy dates back to 2011, when the 
compensation for farmers who had parted 
with their land was initially set at Rs 1,770 per 
sqm. The amount, however, escalated 
significantly because of SDS Infracon's delayed 
payments, accumulating interest on mounting 
dues and penalties.
On May 19, 2022, the Supreme Court favoured 
a demand by Yamuna Expressway Industrial 
Development Authority (YEIDA) for additional 
farmers' compensation. After the court 
verdict, the developer asked the buyers of plots 
to bear the additional cost, citing terms of the 
sub-lease deed.
"The YEIDA since then is pressing for recovery 
of the said additional farmers' compensation, 
however, at an excessive rate and that too with 
penal interest. Our various 
letters/representations to YEIDA for corrective 
actions/reliefs are still being considered by 
YEIDA," the letter to buyers read. Of the 1,400 
affected buyers, only 500 could register their 
plots between 2011 and 2015, when YEIDA 
issued temporary and conditional completion 
certificates. The remaining 900 are yet to get 
their land registered. But those with registered 
plots aren't any better either. They cannot 
begin construction because of severe 
infrastructure deficiencies, including the 
absence of basic amenities like electricity, 
water, and 
sewerage systems.
Tarun Sharma, general secretary of the NRI 
Township Yamuna Plot Owners Association, 
expressed outrage at the compensation 
demand, saying their investment in the project 
had 
increased nearly four times. "This 
unreasonable demand shows the builder's 
complete disregard for buyers' hardships. On 
the other hand, they remain unaccountable for 
the project's 
incomplete infrastructure," he added.
The situation has been further complicated by 
YEIDA's inconsistent policies regarding 
construction penalties. While fines were 
waived from 2017 to Dec 2022 because of 
lacking 
infrastructure, the authority unexpectedly 
enforced penalties for 2023. Though the 
waiver was reinstated in 2024, uncertainty 
remains about the 2025 policy.
There are additional challenges regarding the 
township's expired layout plan, which has not 
been renewed since 2018. This has prevented 
even registered buyers from obtaining 
approvals of their construction maps.

Source : Times of India