LDA forms committee to address Basant Kunj’s issues, ET RealEstate
LUCKNOW: Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) constituted a committee to address the long-pending issues related to Sector A of the Basant Kunj housing scheme.
The move came after it was found that plots were sold without the physical acquisition of land.
LDA secretary CP Tripathi said on Monday that the committee has been tasked with two major responsibilities: negotiating with farmers who are demanding higher compensation and identifying officials responsible for opening registration without completing the land acquisition process.
Officials said that launched in the 1990s, the Basant Kunj scheme covered 1,353 acres spread across ten sectors (A to J), involving land of around 800 farmers and inhabitants. During the acquisition process, while some farmers accepted compensation, others opposed it, demanding higher rates.
Two years ago, LDA reopened registration for plots in Sector A with great enthusiasm. More than 5,000 people registered for plots of 72, 112, and 200 square metres. Through a lottery, 272 allottees were selected and full payment was collected — Rs 21 lakh for 72 sqm plots, Rs 32 lakh for 112 sqm, and Rs 58 lakh for 200 sqm plots. However, due to farmers’ continued possession of the land, neither registration nor physical possession of plots could be given to the allottees.
Officials from LDA’s acquisition section said that several rounds of talks with farmers failed to resolve the dispute. As the matter remains unresolved, there is a risk of legal actions against LDA in the Monument Court, RERA and other forums.
LDA had decided to cancel Sector A of the Basant Kunj scheme and promised to refund the amount to allottees. However, after facing strong backlash from the allottees — who kept their hard-earned money deposited for two years in the hope of building their dream homes — LDA vice-chairman Prathmesh Kumar suspended the cancellation order on April 9.
Deputy secretary CP Tripathi added that the newly formed committee would work swiftly to resolve the issue.
