Latest news with #RajendraTyagi
Hindustan Times
01-08-2025
- Hindustan Times
NGT seeks full detail from Noida, Greater Noida on encroachment
GREATER NOIDA: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Noida and Greater Noida authorities to furnish a comprehensive report detailing the people, properties, and locations involved in unauthorised construction activities in their jurisdictions. The case pertains to a petition filed in March 2024 by environmental activist and former municipal corporator Rajendra Tyagi, who flagged illegal residential and commercial development in 56 villages along the GT Road in Chhapraula region, Greater Noida. (HT Photos) The directive came during a July 28 hearing of an ongoing petition highlighting large-scale environmental violations in the region. The case pertains to a petition filed in March 2024 by environmental activist and former municipal corporator Rajendra Tyagi, who flagged illegal residential and commercial development in 56 villages along the GT Road in Chhapraula region, Greater Noida. These constructions, according to the plea, are being carried out without environmental clearances, approved layout plans, or the mandatory 'Consent to Establish' (CTE) and 'Consent to Operate' (CTO) under the Water and Air Acts. An NGT bench comprising justice Prakash Shrivastava (chairperson), justice Sudhir Agarwal (judicial member), and A Senthil Vel (expert member) noted: 'In terms of the earlier direction, reply affidavit dated March 26, 2025, has been filed by Noida. In that affidavit though it is vaguely stated that action has been taken against such illegal construction but details of the persons/projects/properties/places against whom action has been taken have not been disclosed.' It observed that the affidavit submitted by the Noida authority failed to clearly present the scale of illegal activity or the action taken. The photographs annexed with the affidavit dated much prior to the filing of the petition. Similar directions were issued to the Greater Noida authority and the district magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar, to file detailed affidavits on the steps undertaken to check such illegal constructions. The tribunal also asked the District Ground Water Management Council to place its response on record. The UP Pollution Control Board has also been instructed to conduct an extensive inspection of the affected areas, and identify projects violating environmental norms. During Monday's hearing, advocate Akash Vashishtha, appearing for the petitioner, alleged an 'active collusion' between private developers and local authorities. 'Colonies have been developed barely five kilometres from the tehsil office. Sale deeds are being executed illegally, agricultural land is being converted without permission, and there is zero infrastructure for sewage,' he submitted. The NGT had earlier restrained all unauthorised construction in the region in its December 2024 order and had issued notices to multiple stakeholders in April 2024. The petitioner claims that over 20,000 hectares of arable farmland in Greater Noida have already been encroached, while a similar scale is being used for illegal plotting in Noida. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on October 8, 2025.
Hindustan Times
24-04-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Ghaziabad ex-councillors oppose new property tax hike
Several former councillors of the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation on Wednesday objected to the civic body's newly implemented property tax structure, calling it disproportionately high and likely to increase the financial burden on residents. The revised tax system, effective from April 1, 2025, is based on updated rental values authorised by the state government earlier this month. These values form the basis for calculating property tax and, according to corporation officials, apply to over 600,000 properties under its jurisdiction. At a press conference in Raj Nagar, former councillors Rajendra Tyagi (Raj Nagar), Himanshu Mittal (Kavi Nagar), and Anil Swami (Nehru Nagar), along with social activists, said they have sent formal complaints to the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, chief secretary, and the urban development department, seeking immediate review of the new rates. 'As per the earlier structure, the rental value factor ranged from ₹0.96 to ₹1.45 depending on the road width. Under the new system, this has jumped to ₹3.5– ₹4. That's a multiple-fold increase and will severely impact households,' Tyagi said. Annual tax is calculated by multiplying the property's covered area by the monthly rental value per square foot, and then by 12. Prior to April 2024, monthly rental values ranged from ₹0.32 to ₹1.61 per sq ft for properties on roads less than 12 metres wide; ₹0.48 to ₹2 for roads 12–24 metres wide; and ₹0.65 to ₹2.41 for wider roads. However, now, the revised values now range from ₹0.75 to ₹3.50; ₹0.75 to ₹3.75; and ₹1 to ₹4, for the respective road widths. Tyagi also pointed out that a previous board resolution had mandated only a 10% increase in rental values every two years, effective until March 31, 2025. 'Despite that, the new structure has been enforced from April 1, 2024 — a clear violation of the resolution. Rates in Ghaziabad are now higher than those in Meerut, Saharanpur, Prayagraj, Agra, and Aligarh. If this continues, we may have to approach the high court,' he added. The councillors also made public the documents and government orders in connection with the property-tax structure. The councillors also demanded that the corporation implement age-based rebates, as provided under the UP Municipal Corporation Act. 'Depending on the age of the property, owners are eligible for rebates ranging from 25% to 40%. This provision must be enforced to offer relief to citizens,' said Mittal. 'While the common man is being burdened, large sums remain unpaid by various state and central government departments. The focus should be on recovering those dues.' Property tax in Ghaziabad includes three components -- house tax (10%), sewage/drainage tax (4%), and water tax (10%). Repeated attempts to reach municipal commissioner Vikramaditya Malik on Wednesday went unanswered. Chief tax assessment officer Sanjeev Sinha also did not respond, despite having been sent the documents shared by the councillors. However, speaking to HT earlier on April 9, Malik had said: 'New properties will be assessed under the revised structure. Older properties will move to the new rates during their scheduled revision cycle, which occurs every four years. However, if we find that a property is under-assessed or structurally altered, the new rates will apply immediately.'
