NOIDA: Consumers who have not paid their overdue electricity bills are now facing disconnection of supply by the power company in Noida. In a drive launched by the five electricity divisions of Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited (PVVNL), so far power supply to over 9,000 customers has been disconnected. Following this, several have rushed to settle their bills and take fresh connections.

The drive has been undertaken for the power company to meet its revenue target for the financial year 2011-12. “We are waiting for the deadline of March 31 by which all customers will have to settle their accounts,” said superintending engineer of PVVNL, D P Singh. “After March 31, FIRs will be filed against all customers who do not settle their bills,” he added.

Supply has been barred to several customers across all five urban divisions, apart from Khoda division. The errant customers include residents, institutions, industries and commercial units.

Ayaskant DasAyaskant Das, TNN | Mar 30, 2012, 04.53AM IST

GHAZIABAD: The Ghaziabad Development Authority has finally been given a nudge by the state government to make commuting between the NCR and Delhi smoother. A new plan has been proposed to decongest the NH-24. A team of NHAI and GDA officials did a recce of the highway and decided to work on laying new service lanes and constructing underpasses to divert traffic for smooth movement of vehicles.

Giving details about the project, GDA vice chairman Santosh Yadav the authority will utilize existing underpasses at Shipra Mall and the carbon factory along NH-24 for diverting traffic. The authority has also proposed to build three new underpasses along the stretch from Lal Kuan to UP Gate, the locations of which would be soon decided. Besides, new service roads at Chhajarsi, CISF turn and Kalapathar would be constructed parallel to the highway to streamline traffic between Ghaziabad and Noida.

In addition to these, three foot overbridges (FOB) have been planned, each at district collectorate, Vijay Nagar and Khoda so that pedestrians do not face problems crossing the highway. Yadav said, “We have given a detailed presentation to NHAI regarding these proposals and they have agreed to all of them in principle.”

GDA has also invited suggestions from the public for better planning and implementation of policies. These suggestions will be shared through phone, mobiles phones and cyber space.

The authority also announced that allottees in various schemes can get their plots up to 300 sqm approved within a single working day. In addition, from next month, approval of building plans will also be done within a day.
Purusharth AradhakPurusharth Aradhak, TNN | Mar 30, 2012, 04.54AM IST

It is the apex body of real estate developers in the country with over 8000 members, is now banking on peer pressure amongst its members to resolve consumer complaints. All its members have signed a Code of Conduct which is a self governing mechanism requiring them to adhere with prescribed levels of transparency with their customers. Apart from committing to being transparent with the customers on area calculations, approvals status and specifications, the Code of Conduct requires the developer to declare upfront the compensation in case he delays in delivering the project within the committed time frame. According to Mr. Bajaj, the idea behind the code is to differentiate clean developers from fly by night operators in a sector which has been maligned for its opaqueness.

To give teeth to the Code of Conduct, CREDAI has simultaneously launched a Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum where any member of the buying public can lodge a complaint against a CREDAI member. “We realized that self governance and peer pressure are powerful tools. We have been running a pilot project of this exercise and found that 90% of the complaints against developers got resolved due to the peer pressure from the CREDAI forum on the concerned developer”, says Mr. Bajaj. The Forum has a panel of experienced developers and legal experts who decide on the complaint.

“Complaints can be lodged on the CREDAI NCR website. CREDAI NCR is also embarking on an advertisement campaign- “Is your developer CREDAI accredited?” – to raise awareness about this initiative. Hopefully, this programme will succeed in aligning the faith of the consumers with the intent of fair and transparent developers. We also hope that as a result of this, the market is going to start discounting non transparent developers where there is no redressal forum for complaints” added Mr Bajaj. With real estate being one of the most over-regulated industries and facing the prospect of further regulation, it is welcome initiative by the developers in the direction of self governance and self regulation through peer pressure.. The list of developers in NCR who have signed the Code of Conduct is available at CREDAI NCR’s website.  The Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) is the apex body for private Real Estate developers in India. CREDAI represents over 6,000 developers through 18 member associations across the country. CREDAI links private real estate developers to the government and customers through numerous initiatives and activities. CREDAI’s success in bringing the majority of organised private real estate developers under a single umbrella is a potent force that promises the rapid development of the realty sector-one that knows itself as a major driver of India’s economic growth

Courtesy:www.credai.com

NOIDA: Like the Greater Noida Authority, the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) is now facing by a funds crisis. Sources say YEIDA faces a shortfall of up to Rs 3,000 crore. The farmers’ unrest across the state has added to its problems as many allottees have not paid their installments. YEIDA should have received at least Rs 400 crore from developers and individual allottees in March alone. The Authority is preparing a list of defaulters and a notice in this regard will be sent to them soon.

As a result of the crunch, YEIDA has temporarily halted disbursement of cheques for various development works to its contractors. However, senior officials maintain the payments have been halted due to the change of guard in the state, and will resume once the new government settles down.”The average annual budget of YEIDA is about Rs 4,000 crore. It generates its own funds from sale or allotment of land, while the state pays it only for specific projects. Due to the farmers’ agitation, selling land has become difficult and several allottees have also defaulted on their payments,” a YEIDA official explained. Meanwhile, the Greater Noida Authority, which has been facing a cash crunch for several months now, received another blow on Friday when the Allahabad high court denotified around five hectares of land in Birondi Chakrasenpur in the Dadri tehsil area and also directed it to pay a fine of Rs 25,000 to the petitioner. Greater Noida Authority CEO Rama Raman said the Authority will now file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court seeking relief from the Allahabad HC order.

TNN | Mar 25, 2012, 03.20AM IST

NOIDA: The Supreme Court’s suggestion to the Noida Authority to draft a scheme to allocate new plots to displaced nursing homes in the city has raised the hopes of many doctors. Although the Authority has not taken a decision on the scheme, the owners of displaced nursing homes and doctors worried that the displacement would weaken primary healthcare, say the court’s suggestion has offered them a new ray of hope.

Last month, the Authority had offered 72 alternative plots to the 104 bank branches displaced by the same order. Until now, it had maintained that no such scheme would be launched for nursing homes and that they would have to make their own arrangements.

On December 4, 2011, the Supreme Court had asked all commercial establishments operating out of residential plots in Noida to shift out as they were violating the clauses of land use as per the Noida Master Plan. On Friday, the court also heard several petitions submitted by nursing homes and hospitals that are affected by the December 4 order.

In their petitions and affidavits submitted to the court, representatives of these nursing homes said that while in February the court asked the Authxority to come up with a scheme for allotment of commercial plots to banks, no such directive was given for nursing homes and other establishments.

According to officials of the Indian Medical Association, the closure of nursing homes in residential areas will not only hit primary healthcare in the city but also affect the younger generation of doctors. “Most young doctors who wish to practise will now have to do so in rented accommodations. If the Noida Authority comes up with a scheme for us, at least the doctors who are already operating in the district can keep practising,” said Dr KC Sood of IMA.

“If the Noida Authority offers a scheme to us, our life would be a lot easier. Otherwise, shifting out will be a very tiresome and expensive affair and ultimately the primary healthcare facilities in the city would be affected,” said Dr Ajay Rathore, who runs a nursing home in Sector 41.

Authority officials said they were studying the court order, and would draft a plan of action next week. “We are in the process of studying the court order with our legal team and we are checking the feasibility of coming up with a scheme for nursing homes and hospitals. We will take a decision soon and announce it,” said Anil Rajkumar, acting CEO of Noida Authority.

TNN | Mar 25, 2012, 03.15AM IST

Meeting after a gap of two-and-a-half years, the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) on Thursday approved a new funding pattern for infrastructure projects to ensure rapid development in the NCR region.As part of this, the Centre would for the first time provide 15 per cent of the project cost as grant against loan and Viability Gap Funding for works carried out in Public Private Partnership mode, specifically for water and sewerage projects.

“The NCRPB was only issuing loans to states till now. Now, we will give a 15 per cent grant to state governments for projects,“ said urban development minister Kamal Nath. The grant, Nath said, would be issued for sewage and drainage projects.

Besides, the four-member states of NCRPB also reiterated that the implementation of Rapid Rail Transport System that would connect the satellite cities with the national capital would be put on fast track. “The NCRPB would meet within three months to deliberate more on the issue. We are working on three routes -Panipat-Sonepat-Delhi, MeerutGhaziabad-Gurgaon-Delhi and Palwal-Rewari-Delhi,“ Nath said.

Nath also stressed on the subregional plans to infuse develf opment in all areas of the NCR and said some states were still working on their master plans.
l Besides Nath, others who attended the meeting included Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Delhi L-G Tejinder Khanna among others.

Nath dismissed all questions about projects in UP not being given due importance, and said the state would be given its due.

The NCRPB has till date given loans to 265 projects in the region worth R18,000 crore, of which Haryana topped the list with R5,089 crore. Then came Uttar Pradesh, followed by Delhi and Rajasthan.

HT Correspondent htreporters@hindustantimes.com

In an important step towards resolving a year-long realty crisis in Noida Extension, the NCR planning board in Delhi on Thursday said it had examined Greater Noida’s master plan 2021 and sent it to its statutory planning committee for recommendations and consideration. The NCR cell of the UP government cleared the plan late last year.

The planning board has sought comments from the UP government on certain points.

Now, the planning committee will examine the reply before a no-objection note can be issued. This clearance is a prerequisite to resumption of housing projects in Noida Extension, where 2.5 lakh houses are planned and, of them, one lakh were booked long back.

Greater Noida authority chairman Rama Raman told Hindustan Times, “Unlike the NCR board, the plan committee meets frequently. We’re hopeful of getting a go-ahead in a month.”

Realty projects have remained halted for five months despite the Allahabad high court on October 21 last year raising hopes of a revival, when it ruled that land would remain with builders and farmers would get increased benefits.

The NCR board came into picture as the court also said construction would not begin till it approved the master plan.

Some feel that a change of guard at Lucknow seems to be working. On Thursday, UP minister Abhishek Mishra represented chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. The meeting was also attended by top officials and ministers of the Centre, Delhi government, besides those of Haryana and Rajasthan.

“During the BSP regime, UP ministers and officials in Lucknow never recognised the importance of the NCR board,” said a senior official present at the meeting.

The planning board comprises members of the governments of four states — Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh — apart from the ministries of central government.

Mishra made it clear that the interests of thousands of homebuyers would be protected.

Darpan Singh, Hindustan Times
Noida, March 23, 2012