Ex army personnel to help curb illegal construction in Greater Noida

GREATER NOIDA: The Greater Noida authority has decided to engage retired army personnel to contain illegal construction in different parts of the city.

The move comes as the authority realised that the retired army personnel deployed at the authority’s main administrative building could help out in containing the illegal construction or encroachment on government land which is a challenge for officials.

Senior officials have decided to deploy these personnel in different areas including work circle 1, 2 and 3, where the illegal construction or encroachment is rampant, said officials.

“We will be able to not only protect our acquired government land but also utilise services of these personnel properly. Three teams of these personnel will work in close coordination with junior engineers, assistant engineers and project engineers to effectively prohibit the illegal construction in their respective areas,” said Prerna Singh, additional chief executive officer, Greater Noida authority.

Officials said that there are at least 25 retired army personnel who need to be deployed in three work circles 1, 2 and 3 covering many areas including Tilapta, Surajpur, Tusyana and Bodaki among others.

Officials said that due to heavy police force deployment at Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj from all districts including Noida, getting adequate police force for anti-encroachment drive has become a huge task.

Once they return to Noida, the authority plans to carry out drives against illegal constructions.

According to the Uttar Pradesh industrial act-1976, no person or company can carry out any kind of construction without approval of the layout map from the Greater Noida authority. And the Greater Noida authority does not approve the layout map of any project on private land, and also the authority does not approve the building map on the government land.

The authority has notified around 38,000 hectares of land in 124 villages of Greater Noida.

“The Greater Noida authority must intensify their drives against illegal construction and also squatters because the illegal activities are rampant on the government land in the city… And also, illegal construction is rampant in all city areas,” said Harendra Bhati, founder member of Active Citizen Team.