Ghaziabad: GDA and GMC have formalised the handover of five colonies, with GDA committing Rs 66 crore for pending works such as strengthening water, road, and sewer infrastructure. After Indirapuram, which took more than a decade, this marks their first seamless handover agreement.The colonies that will be handed over by GDA to GMC partially or fully include Swarn Jyantipuram, B Block in Karpuri Puram, Bhaurao Devrash Colony, KB Block in Pratap Vihar, CP Block in Govindpuram and a part of Raj Nagar Extension that runs through Pusta Road. Along with this a 56 MLD STP in Madhuban Bapudham will also be handed over.“As part of the agreement, GDA will pay GMC a sum of Rs 66 crore to carry out pending development work in these colonies. By Feb, the 1st instalment of Rs 33 crore will be made available, and by March this year, the 2nd instalment of an equal amount will be made,” said a GDA official.“The amount will be used for strengthening water, road, and sewer infrastructure. A detailed survey was done and very soon the colonies will be taken over by GMC, including the 56 MLD capacity STP in Madhuban Bapudham,” said a GMC official.In Ghaziabad, six townships developed by GDA have waited to be handed over to GMC for more than two decades. These include Madhuban Bapudham, Indraprastha, Swarn Jyantipuram, Koyal Enclave, Indra Kunj and Tulsi Niketan. The handover of townships developed by private developers, including Raj Nagar Extension, Wave City, and Crossings Republik, is also awaited.Swarn Jyantipuram, launched by GDA in 1998, is among the oldest housing schemes in Ghaziabad awaiting transfer to the municipal corporation. Despite being developed over two decades ago, the township could not be handed over due to prolonged litigation and repeated disagreements between the two agencies.The handover of developed townships to municipal authorities is a persistent issue in the state. Although rules mandate that municipalities take over maintenance after development, the process is perpetually stalled. This delay stems from incomplete construction, the reluctance of private developers to cede control, and bureaucratic formalities between different govt bodies.The govt is now planning to standardise the process for handing over properties. It recently held a meeting with officials from key cities like Ghaziabad, Kanpur and Lucknow to draft a standard procedure for managing these issues.
