Audit flags irregularities of over Rs 2300 crore in 3 industrial authorities in Gautam Buddha Nagar

The audit raised multiple objections on issues pertaining to land acquisitions, non-collection of government revenue from defaulters, escalation of costs for different projects, irregular payment without issuing tenders, making payment to contractors without completion of the work, over expenditure on repair works, renovation of government schools, and buying exotic plants without requirement, among others. According to the report, all of this led to a loss of over Rs 863 crore to the Noida Authority, Rs 1,190 crore to the Greater Noida Authority and Rs 261 crore to the Yamuna Authority.

The report found 49 financial irregularities in connection with the Noida authority, 21 with the Greater Noida Authority and 11 instances of irregularities in the Yamuna Authority during the period.

According to the report, under the 2010 group housing (builders) scheme, the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) – the ratio of a building’s total floor area to the size of the piece of land upon which it is built – was hiked from the existing 1.75 to 2.75 without any additional charges for the firms which resulted in a loss of over Rs 1,100 crore to the GNIDA Authority. This is the largest of the irregularities flagged in Greater Noida.

Under the Noida Authority, the largest financial irregularity to be identified pertains to that of over Rs 134 crore for not collecting rent from builders who had taken land for housing schemes but defaulted on payments, the report further said.

Under the Yamuna Authority, the largest irregularity flagged amounts to over Rs 165 crore for irregular payment as expenses for land acquisition against the order of the state Industries Department.