Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Burea
The Noida Authority has decided to skip work circle number 13 while setting up administrative divisions for New Noida, also known as the Dadri-Noida-Ghaziabad Investment Region (DNGIR), mirroring the absence of Sector 13 in Noida.
The authority will create three new work circles—numbered 11, 12 and 14—to carve out new sectors and expedite the urbanisation of New Noida. Officials have not specified why number 13 has been skipped.
Old Noida has 10 work circles, numbered 1 to 10. The new work circles for New Noida will be numbered 11, 12 and 14,” Kranti Shekhar, officer on special duty (OSD), Noida Authority, said in a statement.
The project will not have a work circle numbered 13. Officials, however, have not given any specific reason for skipping the number. Interestingly, Noida also does not have a Sector 13, said officials.
Preparations for New Noida stepped up
The authority has also stepped up preparations for the project, assigning additional responsibilities to senior officials and deploying field staff to accelerate land acquisition. Three lekhpals have been deployed to survey land and prepare reports, officials said.
The authority held meetings last week with farmers and gram pradhans from Dadri and Bulandshahr to explain the project and the land acquisition process.
Mahima, OSD, Noida Authority, who is overseeing the project, said farmers raised concerns during the meetings, including queries about land acquisition and the fate of their places of worship.
“We informed them about the Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) provisions, which help affected families rebuild their lives and livelihoods,” she said.
Two general managers have been assigned responsibility for the project, while senior managers and managers will also be given additional charge to oversee land acquisition, officials said.
Compensation rate increased by 53%
Last month, the authority increased the compensation rate by 53% for a category of land acquisition under which farmers are also entitled to a 5% developed plot. Compensation and developed-plot entitlements for New Noida will vary by phase, officials said.
