Terms set for land use change in Vasundhara

Ghaziabad: In a victory for residents of Vasundhara, a high-powered committee has recommended conditional change of land use of 41 acres in sectors 7 and 8 from institutional to mixed. The committee, which was set up on the order by CM Akhilesh Yadav to look into residents' grievances, said the Uttar Pradesh Housing Board could go ahead with change of land use on condition that it provides for public conveniences as promised in the original layout plan.
The panel's recommendation has been sent to the state government for approval.Earlier, the panel's report was submitted to GDA, the nodal point for the issue, which has given its conditional nod. Ishtiyak Ahmed, GDA chief architect and town planner, said the committee's report was discussed at the recently held GDA board meeting before being sent to the state government for final vetting.
The residents, meanwhile, are jubilant. U B Garg of Vasundhara Vikas Samiti, who has been fighting for the residents' cause for the past six months, said, "We have been informed of the committee's recommendation and it is a victory for us."
Veerpal Singh another resident says "our struggle has borne fruits and now two decade wait for for play ground, parks will finally be realized." Vasundhara scheme was launched in 1989 and today the area which has 19 sectors has a population of about 6 lakhs but there are neither any park nor government hospital nor playground even though it was promised to residents in the lay out plan."
In the original lay out plan, of the total 1,68,010 sq m of land in sector 7... 5007 sq m was allotted for a degree college, 38017 sq m for hospital,16,675 sq m for hotel, 1645 sq m for petrol pump, 3671 sq m for fire station, 16854 sq m for park and 24,123 sq m for playground.
In October last year the UP Housing Board had proposed to change land use of of land in Vasundhara sector 7 and 8 from institutional to mixed land use and through an public advertisement invited objections from residents. It had elicited strong reactions from residents and more than dozen objections were filed in which it was said that said piece of land was earmarked for public utilities including hospitals, playgrounds, parks and degree college in the original lay out plan. The residents and then accused housing board of hobnobbing with private builders and change in land use from institutional to mixed was aimed at benefiting private builders.
Various RWAs and organisanizations had participated in protest marches against Housing Board's proposed move. The residents had also written to the Chief Minister who in turn had directed the grievance holders to approach Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Planning Department. A high powered committee under Ghaziabad Development Authority Vice Chairman was formed which held a public hearing in February. Based on the objections raised the committee prepared a report in which it was suggested that change in land use be allowed provided the public conveniences as promised in the original lay out plan be provided. The report was presented in recently concluded GDA board meeting which in turn forwarded to the state government.