GDA finalises land procurement rates for 5 Ghaziabad villages

The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) on Saturday announced the land procurement rates for five villages whose 336.84 hectares of land are to be taken for development of the phase-1 of the authority’s proposed 521- hectares Harnandipuram housing township near the Delhi Meerut Road.

Officials said the offered land rates are four times the existing circle rates, and were decided by a committee of officials from GDA and district administration.

The authority said the rates for five of the eight villages, which will be taken up under phase- 1, were finalised on Saturday. The per square metre rates for Mathurapur, Shamsher, Champat Nagar, Bhanera Khurd, and Nagla Firozpur Mohan were fixed at ₹4,080; ₹6,760; ₹4,040; ₹4,240; and ₹7,200, respectively.

Officials said the finalised rates are four times the existing circle rates for each of the five villages. The circle rates are revised and announced annually by the district collector. The officials said that the present circle rates taken into consideration were revised by the district collector on September 18, 2024.

“We will go in for direct purchase of land from farmers at these rates. The five villages are being taken up under phase-1. Farmers had also raised demand for developed plots besides the rates. So, their demand for plots will be put forward before the GDA board in the next meeting. Thereafter, a decision will be taken up about it,” said GDA chairperson Atul Vats.

The authority said it intends to procure 14.60 hectares of land in Mathurapura; 86.54 hectares in Shamsher; 33.98 hectares in Champat Nagar; 9.06 hectare in Bhanera Khurd; and 192.65 hectares in Nagla Firoz Mohanpur.

“Based on finalised rates, the direct land purchase will be taken up. If the farmers do not agree, we will go in for land acquisition,” Vats added.

Officials said the entire land procurement cost for the township (of 521 hectares) is estimated at about ₹5,000 crore. In this context, the state government has already provided an instalment of ₹400 crore to GDA, officials added.

The township is proposed over land belonging to eight villages. Meanwhile, the remaining three villages — Shahpur Morta; Morta; and Bhovapur — will be taken up in the next phase of the township.

Farmers, however, said the existing circle rates of the eight villages are far lower than the market rates. “The farmers have a general demand that the circle rates should be hiked as the villages are located near Delhi Meerut Road and Raj Nagar Extension, and not in the core rural belt. Thereafter, the land purchase rates should be decided by the GDA. Further, the farmers have also raised demand for getting 6% developed plots. The GDA should also give farmers clarity about the developed plots,” said Daksh Nagar, resident of Mathurapur.