Curation Team
GHAZIABAD: Demolition notices have been served to 172 households in Babu Jagjivan Ram Colony in Rajendra Nagar. The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has claimed that the colony was built on 2,864 sqm of designated park land around 50 years ago, and the residents have been given 15 days to demolish the structures. If they fail to comply, GDA will carry out a demolition drive.
According to a GDA official, an NGT petition was filed in 2023, which brought the issue to light. The original case is still ongoing. “However, in 2024, a meeting was held over the issue, chaired by the then chief secretary. It was decided that illegal structures, houses, RCC road, and industrial units, on park land, be demolished. In keeping with the directive, the notices have been issued to residents after which GDA will be free to carry out demolition at the time of its choosing,” the official said.
However, Sushil Raghav, the petitioner in the original case, said that the colony was not part of his petition to the NGT. “In 1962, a private developer got the layout of the colony passed from the improvement board, which is now called the GDA. As per the layout plan, 12,040 sqm of land in the area was earmarked as park land, and in my original application, I stated that a few industrial units in the area made a road in the park for their use. There was no mention of Babu Jagjivan Ram Colony, but it seems that the development authority, after carrying out a survey after the case, found out that the colony is also developed on park land.”When asked about the timing of the notice, Raghav said, “On Wednesday, the case came up in NGT, and GDA had to come up with some action to show before the bench.”
Meanwhile, the govt’s counsel told NGT that a review meeting chaired by the chief secretary is scheduled for July 13. NGT has granted time for the same, but with a rider that an action-taken report will be filed within three weeks. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Aug 29, but it remains uncertain whether GDA will carry out the demolition drive before that or not.
While things remain uncertain, the residents are on tenterhooks over the notice.
“Our families have been living in the colony for about 50 years, and many of those who bought the land here have died, and after so many years, we are being told that it is illegal and that our houses will be demolished. I want to ask if it was illegal, what were the authorities doing when it was sold? Are they not to be blamed? Where will we go?” said Ratan, a resident.
