After massive protest, Noida Authority says decision on free-holding of property rights soon

The Noida Authority said it has agreed to consider making residential property free-hold after thousands of people came out on streets to protest against its policies Thursday.

The authority said it has also agreed to remove parking lots outside industrial units up to a size of 1,800 sq metres.

The protest by resident welfare associations, Noida Entrepreneurs Association (NEA) and more than a dozen other groups saw thousands of people coming out on the city roads.

The protesters marched from Sandeep Paper Mill square to Noida Authority office in Sector 6, where the chiefs of the participating organisations addressed the protesters.

In Noida, plots or flats are sold on lease instead of free-hold basis. Under the lease system, a plot or flat is owned by buyer for 99 years and the buyer has to pay a certain amount for the property, whereas for properties with free-hold rights, no lease rent is required to be paid by a buyer.

NEA president Vipin Malhan and federations of Noida RWAs president N P Singh were among those present at the protest.

Sharma, the minister of state for culture and tourism and civil aviation, said the situation has arisen as the Noida Authority did not "developed the city in an organised manner", according to a statement by NEA.

"We have talked to the UP government to remove parking mafia and make properties freehold in Noida. The governments in the state and at the Centre have a very positive approach, support all classes of people, and agrees to all reasonable demands of citizens," he was quoted as saying in the statement.

He asked Noida Authority CEO Alok Tandon to send a proposal for free-holding of plots to its Board and within 30 days a delegation led by the NEA would meet the state government over the issue.

NEA chief Malhan said, "Freehold property and free parking are our rights. We will not tolerate any parking mafia because of whom our factory employees, buyers and suppliers are facing problems."
FONRWA president Singh said, "Since 2006, we are asking for freehold property. We held talks with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath...but nothing has been done yet."