BJP voices concern over fate of flat buyers in Noida Extention

NEW DELHI: BJP members in Rajya Sabha today said the controversy over construction of residential apartments in Noida Extension on Delhi's outskirts has not been resolved due to "red-tapism".

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (BJP) said 10 lakh people, who have booked homes there, were left in the lurch.

He said dreams of about 10 lakh people who booked houses by investing their entire lifetime savings have crashed and they are now demonstrating at Jantar Mantar here for justice.

The prevailing red-tapism in Central government, preventing it to come out with a solution, has also rendered lakhs of construction workers jobless and they are on the verge of starvation, he said.

"The National Capital Region Planning Board entrusted with the task of deciding on the issue has failed to come out with a master plan," he said.

As regards compensation to farmers whose land was acquired, they are yet to get justice even as the High Court has come out with a solution. "It was decided to give 64 per cent compensation to farmers but they are yet to get it," he said.

Naqvi demanded that the minister concerned should direct the NCR Planning Board to immediately solve the issue and implement the master plan which is gathering dust in files.

Members from BJP and CPI-M supported Naqvi. Last year, the Allahabad High Court, while staying construction activity, had directed Greater Noida Authority that construction activity will begin after NCR Planning Board's approval of the Master Plan 2021. However, the approval is still pending.