GHAZIABAD: The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has initiated the transfer of Swarn Jyantipuram to the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (GMC), ending a decades-long wait.
According to the initial agreement, GDA will allocate Rs 45 crore to the GMC to facilitate the completion of outstanding infrastructure projects in the township. The funds are earmarked for enhancing roads, sewer systems, and the water supply network.
Launched in 1998, Swarn Jyantipuram has been one of Ghaziabad’s longstanding housing projects, pending transfer to the municipal corporation. Despite its establishment over twenty years ago, the handover has been delayed due to prolonged legal disputes and disagreements between the involved agencies.
This marks the second significant township transfer to GMC in recent times, following the formal handover of Indirapuram on October 3, 2024, which involved a payment of Rs 185 crore in installments for infrastructure improvements.
Typically, once a township is developed, its maintenance responsibilities should fall to the municipal body. However, this process has frequently stalled due to unfinished development projects, hesitance from developers, or disputes between development authorities and municipal entities, often leaving residents in a challenging position.
“To resolve these complications, the state government has taken steps to streamline the handover process. Consequently, we have initiated the transition of Swarn Jyantipuram to GMC,” said a GDA official.
The official further noted that legal hurdles have contributed to the delay. A pending court case regarding the allocation of a canceled plot in the township is currently obstructing the handover.
In 2017, a public interest litigation was filed in the Allahabad High Court, alleging fraudulent reinstatement of canceled plots within the township. Following this, the court ordered the Moradabad range commissioner to investigate the matter, resulting in the GDA filing FIRs in December of that year against implicated officials.
The township features 1,553 residential plots of various sizes—200, 150, 112, and 90 square meters—and accommodates approximately 250,000 residents. It is one of six townships developed by GDA in the city, including Madhuban Bapudham, Indraprastha, Koyal Enclave, Indra Kunj, and Tulsi Niketan, all of which have been awaiting municipal handover for over two decades. Additionally, the transfer of multiple larger housing developments from private builders, such as Raj Nagar Extension, Wave City, and Crossings Republik, is still pending.
