HC panel fails to locate IAF land in Noida villages

The court has given time until August 27 and directed the Additional Solicitor General of India to apprise it of the steps taken and the progress made.

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The court passed the order on July 28 while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Ajit Singh, a Noida-based social worker. The petition alleges that the IAF land was usurped by unscrupulous elements allegedly in collusion with officers, as a result of which records were manipulated in these two villages.

The land in question was acquired on November 26, 1950, as part of the Tilapat firing and bombing range, mostly based in Faridabad (Haryana) but partly extending into the two villages, which were then part of Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh.

On May 19, the court had set up a four-member committee comprising a nominee of the Commanding Officer (Hindon air force station), Defence Estate Officer (DEO) of the same area, Director (Survey of India) in Lucknow and Collector (Gautam Budh Nagar) to look into the issue and locate the maps and records of the land.

“From the minutes of the meeting which was held on July 25, 2015, the common theme which emerges is the absence of records and maps. We are of the view that in order to facilitate the work which is being carried out by the committee, it would be necessary for the Commanding Officer of the air force station to coordinate with the Chairman (BoR),” the court order said.

“We direct that both the authorities shall be in close coordination, so that necessary directions can be issued to the officials concerned to facilitate the work of the committee and to ensure that all necessary steps are taken for protecting the interest of the Union government,” the court had added .

In another hearing, the high court had taken a very strong view of the situation, questioning how such huge tracts of land could virtually “vanish into thin air”.