Delhi-Dehradun Expressway: How a 1,600 sqm plot in Ghaziabad is delaying the opening of 200-km highway project

Construction of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway faces a final hurdle: a two-story house in Mandola. The house belongs to the descendants of Veersen Saroha, who originally refused to sell his 1,600 square meter plot to the Uttar Pradesh Housing Board in 1998, a TOI report stated.

The board wanted the land for a housing project, but Saroha fought the acquisition in court. The project eventually stalled. Later, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) acquired the land from the housing board for the expressway. However, Saroha's family continues to challenge the transfer.

“Work has been held up because of litigation as the owner of the house and his family have filed a case in Supreme Court,” an NHAI official said.


The expressway is nearly complete and could open by June, except for the section blocked by the house. This section, between Akshardham in Delhi and the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, is crucial for reducing travel time between Delhi and Baghpat to under 30 minutes.

The housing board initially offered around Rs 1,100 per square meter for the land. While most landowners accepted, Saroha and a few others held out for higher compensation. After Saroha’s death, his grandson, Lakshyaveer, took the case to the Supreme Court. The court directed the matter to the Lucknow High Court, which has scheduled a hearing for April 16.

The Supreme Court has urged expedited proceedings, recognizing the expressway’s importance. The 212km Delhi-Dehradun Expressway is almost finished, waiting only for the resolution of this lingering land dispute.