Assembly panel tells Noida authority to allow work on Sport City projects to begin

NOIDA: There might be light at the end of the tunnel for 15,000 homebuyers in Noida’s Sports City
projects, which have been stalled for not meeting the basic licence requirement of sports infrastructure
being developed along with housing projects.
Work on Sports City projects, which are also mired in complications caused by the sub-leasing of land to
third parties, came to a halt in 2021 after years of uncertainty over the direction of the ventures, which
were conceived in 2008.
Now, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the state assembly has directed the Noida Authority to allow developers of the projects to resume work wherever sufficient land is available. The committee also
asked Noida to assess the availability of land within each project to ensure it conforms to international
standards

“In sectors, which have sufficient land as per the norms, the Noida Authority should remove the
restriction and allow the developers to work… because it serves the best interests of both the public and
the state, as well as revenue generation,” the PAC said on July 24.
Other than 15,000 homebuyers, who are waiting for their flats, nearly 15,000 more who have got
possession are unable to register their houses because the developers fail to meet licence requirements,
making this a unique case among all the delayed projects in Noida.
On Tuesday, Noida CEO Lokesh M said the department would act on the PAC’s directions. “At present,
the Authority is awaiting the report of a three-member sub-committee formed within the organisation,” he
added.
The Sports City projects, which envisions an integrated mini-township, complete with modern, worldclass sports facilities, alongside residential and commercial areas, is to come up over 300 hectares of land
at four different locations in the city. One land parcel across Sectors 78, 79 and 101 was allotted to Three
C and another in Sector 150 to Lotus Greens Group. One each in Sector 150 and 152 was allocated to
Logix Infra Developer and ATS Homes, respectively.
Currently, Logix and Three C are undergoing insolvency proceedings.
The PAC, which is addressing the objections highlighted in a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)
audit report on Noida’s land allocation for the projects, has held three meetings so far. In its last two
meetings in June and July, the committee directed officials from the UP industrial department and Noida
to allow two builders — Lotus and ATS — to resume work.
Subsequently, Noida issued letters to the two developers, outlining points of compliance —a revised map
illustrating the international standard of sports facilities on 70% of the land with the remaining allocated
for group housing, commercial and other activities. The developers also have to submit an affidavit
confirming 70% of the land was available for developing green and sports facilities, along with a
timeframe for completing the sports facilities.
The responses submitted by Lotus and ATS will be presented to the Public Accounts Committee at the
next meeting, offi-cials said.
The Noida Authority, meanwhile, has also commissioned a private consultant, Skyline, to study the
project’s delays and the objections raised by the CAG and prepare a comprehensive report.
Additionally, a three-member committee, headed by an additional CEO and comprising the GM
(planning) and finance controller, has been constituted to investigate the CAG’s objections and prepare a
report.
Once ready, the reports will be presented before the Noida Authority’s board and then to the PAC in the
next meeting, expected to be held in September.
Why registries stuck
The land allotment under the Sports City projects required the builders to develop world-class sports
facilities on 70% of the total land and use the rest for residential, commercial and institutional projects.
However, the four lead developers subdivided the land into 74 plots, which were further sub-leased
subsidiary companies. Among these, approval was granted for the layout of 45 projects with over 30,000
units. Around 15,000 homebuyers have already moved into these units, while others remain at different
construction stages.
While developers went ahead with the residential projects, the sports facilities were not completed.
In 2021, Noida stopped the registration of flats after the CAG report flagged concerns over the land
allotment procedures. The developers also are yet to clear over Rs 8,200 crore in land dues to Noida.
This has led to frustration among homebuyers who have invested in these Sports City projects. Sanwarjeet
Dasoundi, a resident of the Gaur Sports Wood society in Sector 79 and president of 7x Sports City
Foundation, said, “In Sector 79, not a single apartment has permission to execute flat registry, despite the
delivery of 3,000 flats across five group housing societies. Many homebuyers have already completed
stamp duty obligations, yet the registration of flats remains in limbo. What is our fault? Even though the
builder is willing to settle dues, the registry remains elusive due to the unmet commitment to constructing
sports facilities. We hope the PAC’s intervention will prompt Noida Authority to initiate the registry
process.”
Noida MLA Pankaj Singh, who is also a member of the PAC, recently met Sports City residents and
assured to resolve the matter soon.