Act against 'fraudulent' Ghaziabad land transfer: HC tells UP

The Allahabad High Court today directed the chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh to take action against officials involved in "fraudulent" transfer of land, acquired for developing a bird sanctuary in Ghaziabad, to private builders for constructing residential buildings.
A division bench comprising Justice Arun Tandon and Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi also asked the state government to file an affidavit explaining why the land should not be returned to its original owner - the Gram Sabha of Arthala village - since the bird sanctuary for which it was acquired had not been developed.
Fixing September 14 as the next date of hearing in the matter, the court also directed the municipal commissioner of Ghaziabad and housing commissioner of Awas Evam Vikas Parishad to appear in person.

The order was passed on the petition filed by one Suleman Dabas who had drawn the court's attention towards allotment of the land, along the river Hindon, to builders despite the same having been acquired in the name of developing a bird sanctuary.