People living in the NCR region of Noida and Greater Noida are at loggerheads with their respective Authorities. The reason for this loggerhead is that the residents including industrialist and shop owners of Noida are demanding a freehold status for their respective properties. Currently Noida and Grater Noida Authority do not allot land on freehold basis- it’s given on lease agreement of 90 years and charges annual lease rent.
Considering that Noida and Greater Noida is one of the showcase areas of UP, the demand to convert lease properties to freehold status seems justified another thing which justifies the demand of Noida residents is that Noida and Greater Noida are the only areas of Uttar Pradesh where conversion to freehold property is currently not allowed.
According to Kunwar M.Z. Khan, president of the Chamber of Industries & Commerce Noida, the chamber has petitioned the Chief Minister’s office to abolish the lease hold concept in Noida and declare Noida a free hold area as already declared in the whole state except Noida and Greater Noida.
It’s not that only industrialist and shop owners of Noida and Greater Noida are demanding a freehold status for their properties, the same demand has been put forward by various resident welfare associations of Noida.
According to president of the Federation of Noida Residents Welfare Association, N.P. Singh, the federation has been demanding converting to freehold status for over a decade now, but all its efforts and petitions to the authority has been met with cold shoulders.
UP Udyog Vyapar Mandal President Sunil Gupta is more vocal in his criticism of the Noida Authority officials. According to him the Authority officials adopt the state government policies when it benefits their ulterior motives and ignore when it is in the interest of public. He further goes on to say that Noida Authority adopted the state governments’ hotel policy for allotment of hotel sites at industrial sector prices causing loss worth crores of rupees.
Strangely GDA which shares a border with Noida converted lease hold property to freehold status by levying charges. Going by the arguments put forward by various parties its high time that Noida and Greater Noida Authorities take notice of it and act on the long standing demand of Noida residents.