Ghaziabad: Land authority issue confiscation orders against GDA officials

The land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement authority (Larra) in Gautam Budh Nagar directed the attachment of official vehicles and movable property of two senior officials of the Ghaziabad development authority (GDA) because the authority is yet to pay up hiked land compensation amount to farmers.

The Larra authority issued a communication in this regard on February 19 to the Ghaziabad district magistrate and asked the official to execute the order and submit an inquiry report by February 28.

When contacted, GDA officials said that the order relates to hiked compensation sought by landowners for land acquired for the Raj Nagar housing scheme.

“The scheme was launched around the 1960s, and the landowners demanded hiked compensation. They appealed to the Larra court, and it recently issued an order for confiscation. In this context, we will make a proposal to the GDA board. This proposal will be for realising the hiked compensation amount from allottees. We have checked the orders issued. In the meantime, we have checked the order issued by Larra and will soon file an appeal before an appropriate authority,” said Rudresh Shukla, media coordinator of GDA.

GDA officials said that the matter relates to the scheme which was taken up by erstwhile Ghaziabad Improvement Trust while GDA came into existence only in 1973.

Larra said that it directed a payment of ₹3,38,83,866.71 but the authority could not pay up and sought time.

Deepak Meena, district magistrate of Ghaziabad, said that the confiscation order issued by Larra has been received. “We will comply with the directions issued by Larra. We have received the orders, and will send a report to the authority as directed,” Meena added.