G Noida flat owners urge HC to hear their views

New Delhi: Fearing cancellation of land acquired by development authorities in other parts of Noida Extension as well, around one lakh flat owners on Sunday demanded they should be given an opportunity to be heard by the Allahabad High Court when it takes up various petitions filed by the farmers.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had upheld the Allahabad High Court's decision to quash 156 hectares of land in Sahberi village in Noida Extension, a part of Greater Noida, acquired from farmers by the local development authority.

Noida Extension Flat-Buyers Welfare Association, formed to protect the interest of those who have booked flats in entire Noida Extension, said after Supreme Court's order farmers from adjoining villages have also approached Allahabad High Court through writ petitions challenging the acquisition of their land as well.

The association pointed out that the total number of flat-buyers affected in Shahberi was only 6500, but the people who have booked flats in post-Shahberi cases are about one lakh.

"The land in other parts of Noida Extension was also acquired with the same procedure which was followed in Shahberi village. It is feared that the Allahabad High Court may take the same grounds and quash the land acquisition in other parts of Noida Extension as well... bonafide flat-buyers will suffer huge and irreparable losses on account of any hard decision in post-Shahbari cases," the association said in a statement.

"The flat-buyers must be made a party and they must be given an opportunity to be heard before a decision is taken," the association said.

Last week, real estate developers, including Amrapali and Supertech, had promised that they would either shift the buyers affected by the order to other projects or return their money with interest.

In the first general body meet of Noida Extension Flat Buyers Welfare Association held today, members empowered the Association to plead their view before the court by becoming party to the case.

Association president RP Tyagi, addressing around the members assembled in Greater Noida, said that Greater Noida Authority and Builders have not pleaded the case properly.

"I have seen judgements in which court had stated that there was no development in the area. Authority has to collect data and show the court the huge development in form of roads, electricity poles and schools" Tyagi said.

Greater Noida infrastructure is better than even Chandigarh, he claimed.

Legal adviser S D Singh briefed about the legal aspects of the status of Noida extension flats.

The next hearing in the case for several unaffected villages is scheduled at Allahabad High Court on July 21, therefore Association will move the court before that date so that buyers viewpoint could be put forward effectively, Tyagi said.

Association will become party to the case and courts can not ignore over a lakh investors' concern, Tyagi said.