In a recent development, the Ghaziabad Development Authority has decided to increase the lease rates of Green Belts in the city. The hike will be levied on the educational institutions which were given land on the green belts by the administration.
According to GDA officials, at present, the lease rate was Rs 10 per sq meter, but we are now planning to increase it by 100 sq meter. The idea would be tabled in the GDA’s upcoming board meeting to be held on June 25, 2019.
Giving more information on the above decision, Kanchan Verma, Vice Chairperson, GDA said, “GDA has last revised the lease rates in 2011. From then, it was the same. Therefore, to increase the revenue and funding of the authority, we have proposed this hike,”
She also informed that before 2011, the lease rates were Rs 1 sq. meter. Currently, there are 13 educational institutions in the Ghaziabad that are spread over 90,000 sq meter of the green belt. So, all of them have to pay the increased rent if the board passes the idea.
Apart from hiking the lease rent on the green belt, the authority has decided to go strict against those educational institutions that have violated lease law till date.
Verma told that many educational institutions are using public property like parks and green lands for their own personal use thereby restricting the common public from using them. However, as per the authority norms, there is no such rule. The parks and green lands are strictly made for the public use and no one can use them as their own property.
Moreover, GDA has also noticed that many schools and private colleges have illegally constructed the boundary wall by merging the adjacent open land with them. This is completely against the rules as GDA has authorized only 2% of permanent construction on such property.
“We will take strict action against such schools and colleges and will cancel their lease if the violations are severe.” Verma ended.