The Noida Authority board has approved forming a dedicated enforcement cell under the planning wing to check unauthorised constructions by residents and developers violating approved layouts.
Officials said a plan is in motion to recruit 20 junior engineers through outsourcing to inspect construction projects and ensure strict adherence to sanctioned maps.
“In case of any deviation from the approved map, there will be action against the builders or residents concerned as per the provisions of the bylaws,” an official said.
The board also approved 12 hirings-two managers and 10 assistant managers-in the planning wing through outsourcing. Currently, only eight staffers are working against 43 sanctioned posts. While three of them have been transferred but await official release, another is on a six-month extension post-retirement.
A severely short-staffed planning wing has been unable to enforce an effective crackdown on illegal constructions in the city, which have sparked controversies among residents in some instances, like political cadre Srikant Tyagi and a woman resident facing off over illegal structures and plantations in their society last year. The incident led to a law and order situation, prompting the Noida Authority to undertake an anti-encroachment drive. In other cases, if builders undertake illegal constructions against approved maps, homebuyers often bear the brunt. So, officials proposed an enforcement cell to the board during its August 13 meeting, which the board approved after discussion.
The planning wing currently has two general managers against one sanctioned GM post. However, GM Ishtiyaq Ahmed retired on May 31 and has been granted a six-month extension until November. GM Leenu Sehgal, who will retire on September 30, now divides her time among three industrial authorities, spending two days each at the Noida Authority and GNIDA offices and the fifth day at the YEIDA office.
Also, three posts for senior managers and two for senior cartographers remain vacant. Against the sanctioned posts of eight managers and 21 assistant managers, the department currently has only one manager and four assistant managers. Similarly, there is only one cartographer against the six sanctioned posts.
The planning department oversees the formulation of master plans for the Noida area, including the newly added Dadri-Noida-Ghaziabad Investment Region, comprising 84 villages. It is responsible for preparing layout plans for various sectors, encompassing the residential and commercial landscape, among others, either in-house or through outsourcing.
Additionally, the department plays a significant role in allotting developed land to farmers affected by land acquisition as per regulations. It oversees the allocation of plots under various categories and approves maps in compliance with Noida Building Regulations. It also reviews environmental initiatives to adhere to directives from the NGT.
“Amid these crucial responsibilities, the staff shortage is a major concern. Officials made the board aware of the potential impact on work quality. So, it finally passed the proposal,” said the official.
