RWAs Advocate for Freehold Property Rights & New Governance in Noida

During a meeting with Noida MLA Pankaj Singh over the weekend, the RWA demanded that residential land property of the Noida Authority be converted from leasehold to freehold, and that there be no increase in the FAR post-freehold.

Currently, all residential properties in Noida are leased for a period of 99 years. The UP Industrial Act 1976 has been used to demand freehold rights for residents. In 2018, at its 195th board meeting, headed by then-chief executive officer Alok Tandon, the Noida Authority gave preliminary approval for the conversion of Noida properties from leasehold to freehold.

The state govt received the recommendation on November 26, 2018, after a committee was formed under the chairmanship of then ACEO.

The president of CONRWA said the recommendations were made after considering all the potential benefits and losses to the Noida Authority. The committee suggested establishing a short-term corpus fund to convert the assets of the residential plot from leasehold to freehold, which will be invested or can be a regular source of income by receiving interest on it, according to Jain.

The residents also pointed out that, once the land use plan is approved, the floor area ratio (FAR) shouldn't be increased. There is a relationship between the total floor area of a building and the size of the land it is built on.

Residents' body was assured that their demands would be taken up with the concerned authorities and the state government to find suitable solutions.