Layout revised, government panel wants work to resume on Noida Sports City after two years
NOIDA: The public accounts committee of the UP assembly has asked Noida Authority to go through a revised layout submitted by the developer of Sports City in Sector 150 on priority and give its approval if the plan met all the requirements.
The approval of the revised report is key for construction to resume on the project, where 10,000 homebuyers have invested. The Noida Authority had in 2021 ordered a stay on all construction work related to the project after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) raised objections on the earlier layout.
One of the main objections raised by CAG was the lack of 70% of contiguous land for developing sports facilities. At a meeting in Lucknow on November 22, the Noida Authority CEO, Lokesh M, informed the assembly panel that the developer – Lotus Greens – had assured the availability of 70% of continuous tracts of land in its revised plan.
While the committee members asked the Noida Authority to expedite the process of approval if Lotus complied with all the norms, a representative of CAG said he wouldn’t have any objection if the report met international specifications.
The Noida Authority told the panel it was evaluating the map and would present it before its board for a discussion soon. One the board gave its nod, the revised plan would be sent to the state government for final approval.
Lotus Greens was allotted 330 acres in Sector 150 to develop Sports City in 2014-15. Unlike in other projects, 70% of the land needed to be reserved for developing sports facilities like golf courses, cricket and tennis academies. But the remaining land could be set aside for residential and commercial use to make the project economically viable.
After it was allotted the land, Lotus divided it into 24 parts and handed them over to other companies for developing housing projects. Developers Tata, Samriddhi, Eldeco, Homekraft and Godrej have already constructed their projects after getting their respective layouts approved by the Noida Authority.
The overall project, however, hit a hurdle in 2021 when CAG raised its objections, pointing out that while residential buildings were being developed, work on sports facilities had taken a backseat. It also questioned the way land was allotted and then subdivided by Lotus.
While the Authority then put a stop on all work at the project, the assembly panel started looking into the lapses pointed out by CAG. A recent inspection by the Noida Authority also found that 63% of the land – and not 70% – had been set aside for sports facilities.
Since then, at least five high-level meetings have been held on the issue. In August this year, the committee asked the Noida Authority to allow construction to resume wherever sufficient land was available. Lotus then came up with its revised layout, saying it had taken away some plots set aside for housing projects and ensured there was 70% of contiguous land in its kitty for sports facilities.
Mahboob Ali, the committee chairperson, said it was high time that a decision was taken on the project. “We are okay with the revised report. Other officials concerned have also said that there is enough land for developing sports facilities. So, the stay on construction ordered by the Noida Authority should be removed. Our intention is to ensure Sports City meets all the international standards,” he added.
Apart from the Sports City in Sector 150, similar projects have been planned at four other places in Noida. The remaining three, however, are mired in legal tangles and issues over land.
