Amid controversies surrounding land acquisition in Noida, Greater Noida and Noida extension in Gautam Budh Nagar district, the Uttar Pradesh government today shunted out the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA).
Santosh Kumar Dwivedi, CEO YEIDA has been shifted to Lucknow as additional commissioner, entertainment tax. Pandhari Yadav, who was the district magistrate of Pratapgarh, is now the new YEIDA CEO.
Recent incidents in New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (Noida) in the National Capital Region (NCR) have caused much embarrassment to the Mayawati government.
Farmers have now moved court alleging forcible acquisition of land by authorities under the garb of industrial development and transferring it to private developers at higher prices.
On July 19, the UP government had removed the chairman and CEO of Noida. All four senior IAS officials were transferred in the administrative shuffle. While, Mohinder Singh was divested of responsibility as Noida chairman, Rama Raman was removed as the CEO of Noida.
The government had transferred Balwinder Kumar, principal secretary, social welfare department and Dr Ambedkar Gram Sabha Vikas, as the new chairman and CEO of Noida.
However, Mohinder Singh continues to be the chairman of Greater Noida, Taj Expressway Authority and chairman of UP Export Corporation and Investment commissioner. He has also been given additional responsibility of Resident Commissioner, UP in New Delhi. Similarly, Raman continues to be the CEO of Greater Noida.
Yamuna Expressway has created a number of controversies since its inception. Conceptualised in 2002, the 165-km long expressway from Greater Noida to Agra was estimated to cost Rs 3,000 crore. In February 2003, the Mayawati government had awarded the project to Jaypee and it was stipulated to be completed in seven years.
However, the project has not yet been completed due to several reasons, including protests by land owners, which has escalated the cost to about Rs 10,000 crore.
The six-lane expressway (erstwhile Taj Expressway) between Greater Noida and Agra will connect the national capital directly to Agra, a route with heavy traffic.
The expressway crosses Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahar, Aligarh, Mahamaya Nagar (Hatras), Mathura and Agra districts.
Meanwhile, state chief secretary Anoop Mishra told Business Standard that a major portion of the expressway would become operational by October 2011.
