By IANS,
Greater Noida: The economic recession forced the Greater Noida authority to convert the acquired land from industrial to residential use in Noida Extension, authority CEO Rama Raman Wednesday said, admitting to some mistakes in the acquisition process.
Talking to IANS, the CEO said there were some errors in acquiring lands in Shahberi village.
“The Allahabad High Court has observed our shortcomings and our solicitors failed to convince the court about our compulsions. Although we surpassed some parameters, but we have acquired land under ‘planned industrial development’,” he said, adding it did not mean the authority acquired land for industrial use but for planned industrial development under residential category.
“This is a necessary component of it but our advocates have failed to make the court understand our view point,” he said.
Elaborating on “planned industrial development”, the CEO said it consists all components required for the township, including industrial, residential, commercial, institutional and green areas and special economic zones.
Greater Noida consists 23 percent residential, 5.6 percent commercial, 16.2 percent institutional, 23.2 green areas, 19.6 percent industrial, 12.1 transportation and 0.2 percent SEZ, he said, adding that in Shaberi, the authority had increased some proportion of residential land because of “certain market compulsions”.
Slamming the name “Noida Extension”, the CEO said this name was not justified as no such area exists in Greater Noida. “It is the marketing tactics of builders to sell their products by just giving an image that the area is approachable from Delhi while Greater Noida seems far away from Delhi,” he said.
Revealing the strategy of the authority to reach some understanding with the farmers, the CEO said he is confident that the farmers would understand the authority’s compulsions and the heavy expenditure it has incurred in the land acquisition process.
He said the expenditure was over Rs.4,000 per square metre and in this situation, it was difficult to increase the farmers’ compensation.
Rama Raman said he appreciated that the land prices have increased tremendously, hence the farmers’ share should be increased, but this decision was not in his hands and would have to be taken by the state government.
He said he had written to the Patwari village headman to come forward with a proposal and in the same way, other areas also will be included. He hoped the authority and the farmers would be able to reach some conclusion before Aug 12, 2011 the dead line given by the high court.