Status: Not ApprovedHEAD: 24_Noi_AJ_CAG report highlights major lapses in GDA from 2017 to 2022Byline: Abhijay JhaCAG report highlights major lapses in GDA from 2017 to 2022Abhijay JhaGhaziabad: The Comptroller and Auditor General’s report on the Ghaziabad Development Authority was recently tabled in the assembly and pointed out major lapses in the working of the development authority from 2017-18 to 2021-22. In its 446-page report, the CAG highlighted lapses which included violation of norms in the implementation of Master Plan 2021, its failure to protect the floodplain area of the Hindon, which led to mushrooming of illegal colonies, and its lackadaisical approach to increasing revenue.The report states, ‘GDA implemented Master Plan 2021 without getting it vetted by the NCR Planning Board.’ Since the NCR Planning Board was created to regulate planning in the NCR region, it is binding on the GDA to get the master plan vetted by the NCRPB.The report noted, ‘Instead of a composite plan, it prepared 2 plans—Master Plan 2021 for Ghaziabad and Master Plan 2021 for Modinagar—with zoning regulation violations. It took 4 years to make Master Plan 2021 for Ghaziabad and 10 years to make Master Plan 2021. The Hindon elevated road, built at a cost of Rs 1089 cr, was not a part of Master Plan 2021, and the land use pattern projected in Master Plan 2021 was not followed.’As per Master Plan 2021, parks and open space should have been in an area of 2484 hectares, but it managed only 511 hectares. An area of 6975 hectares was earmarked under the residential head; on the ground, only 5481 hectares was devoted under the residential head.Between 2017-22, GDA failed to construct units under the EWS category. Against 25000 units, only 9960 units were constructed, which accounted for just 40%.As per the Ghaziabad Master Plan, GDA was supposed to create land banks for industrial and residential sectors. Against a target to create a land bank of 300 hectares between 2017-22, GDA managed to create only 18.32 hectares of land bank.The report also highlighted that, despite a GO stating that the floodplain area of the Hindon River should be kept as a green belt, the development authority, as an enforcement agency, failed to prevent illegal colonies that came up in the floodplain.A Google image from 2009 and 2023 was also part of the report, which showed how far the illegal constructions along the Hindon floodplain took place over the years.‘Little or no action was taken by GDA to remove encroachment within 200 m on both sides of the Hindon River,’ the report says.On GDA’s finances, the report says, ‘In the FY 2017-22 to 2021-22, GDA failed to generate projected revenue. Except for FY 2018-19, GDA’s revenue was less by up to 48% to 58%.’‘GDA failed to make use of the auto sweep facility, which is a banking feature that automatically transfers surplus funds above a set threshold from a savings or current account into a higher-interest FD; as a result, it incurred a loss of Rs 73 lakh.’GDA also failed to recover dues from defaulters; as a result, till March 2022, it incurred a loss of Rs 64 cr. GDA provided a loan of Rs 50 cr to Hapur-Pilkhuwa Development Authority in 2007. As per the understanding, the loan was provided for a period of 1 year at 9% pa interest, but 14 years since the disbursement, Hapur-Pilkhuwa Development Authority repaid only Rs 41 cr.A GDA official meanwhile said, “The report was tabled in the UP assembly and the state govt will take note of it. As far as GDA is concerned, all we can say is that the recommendations made in the CAG report will be followed.” MSID:: 128753007 413 |
