Soon, metro and Hindon road cess only on added area

GHAZIABAD: Homebuyers around the Hindon elevated road and the new metro corridor in Ghaziabad may soon get relief from the cess that the GDA charges from them.
The development authority will place a proposal at its June 25 board meeting to charge cess only on extra construction rather than the whole covered area, acknowledging it’s an anomaly that needs to be removed.
Since 2014, the GDA has been charging metro cess from buyers in the impact zone of the Dilshad Garden-New Bus Adda metro corridor (the Red Line extension that was commissioned earlier this year). The impact zone extends to 500 metres on either side of the corridor. The cess charged is 15% of difference between the circle rates of 2012 and 2013.
Similarly, the GDA levies a Hindon elevated road charge on buyers of flats in housing projects at Raj Nagar Extension, which is Rs 650/sqm. Raj Nagar Extension buyers also have to shell out a Hindon River metro station charge, which is Rs 350/sqm.
“There have been objections to these cess and charges from buyers in the impact zones,” said Ishtiyaque Ahmad, chief architect and town planner (CATP) of the GDA. “It was pointed out to us that whenever residents or buyers who have an approved layout plan before 2014 came for approval of extra construction made after 2014, GDA levied cess on the whole covered area. Ideally, it should charge only for the extra construction, so GDA will amend this at its upcoming board meeting,” he added.
“The same goes for Raj Nagar Extension where buyers have to shell out the elevated road charge and Hindon River metro station charge,” said Ahmad. “It is because Raj Nagar Extension stands to gain most due to the elevated road and metro station, which was constructed specifically for the benefit of residents of this area.”