Leisure Valley, water plants to be under GMDA watch

Gurgaon: With the formation of Gurgaon Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), all properties developed by Huda in sectors 1-115, and the external development charge (EDC) they collected from developers and plots buyers, will go to the new authority.
In a recent meeting of senior officials of Huda and GMDA, it was decided in principle that Huda will hand over all such properties to the new authority, as soon as the latter starts working.In fact, most of the properties to be transferred to GMDA have already been identified.
“It was decided that all properties developed by Huda will be transferred to GMDA, along with EDC,” said the officer on special duty (OSD) of GMDA, V Umashankar, who is also the MCG commissioner. He added that a policy for transfer of properties is being prepared, and the transfer will be completed soon after GMDA is formed.
Major Huda properties include water treatment plants at Basai and Chandu Budhera, sewage treatment plant at Dhanwapur and Behrampur, the Tau Devi Lal stadium and others (see box).
Elaborating on the basis for identification of properties for transfer, he said the basis for asset transfer will be EDC, as it is not legally tenable to transfer Huda properties when the authority is neither being dissolved nor merged with GMDA. In other words, assets that Huda developed using EDC collected all over Gurgaon will be the ones transferred. “Huda is not being merged with GMDA, but transfer of certain properties were necessary to avoid overlap of responsibilities and to streamline delivery of civic services. So EDC was made the basis for transfer of properties,” he said.
Along with the transfer of properties, decision has also been taken regarding transfer of projects under Huda to GMDA. “Projects completed after 2017 will be taken over by GMDA. Projects that have a deadline this year would be completed by Huda and transferred to GMDA later,” said a senior Huda official, adding that Huda will continue to perform the role of estate management.
“The authority is preparing in advance to ensure smooth transfer of major infrastructure and other assets to GMDA. A list of assets has been prepared. Huda’s engineering wing will identify these and submit a final report,” Yashpal Yadav, Huda administrator, Gurgaon, said. The final list is likely to be ready by month-end. The GMDA will also acquire land for city infrastructure, while Huda will still be eligible to acquire land, but only for developing new sectors and internal development.