Agra-Lko E-way: 27 booked for fraud in land compensation

AGRA/LUCKNOW: Acting on a complaint filed during the Akhilesh Yadav regime, the state government on Monday registered a case against 27 people at Shikohabad police station of Firozabad district for fraudulently procuring land compensation in excess of its value. The land was acquired for the Agra-Lucknow Expressway.

According to reports, the owners changed the land use from agriculture to residential in the records, allegedly with the connivance of revenue and consolidation officials, to procure excess compensation.

Firozabad is parliamentary constituency of Akshay Yadav, son of Ram Gopal Yadav, the national general secretary of Samajwadi Party.

“I simply initiated proceedings in the case, suo motu cognizance of which was taken by my predecessor in 2016,” district magistrate Neha Sharma told HT.

She did not rule out the possibility of involvement of some other officials in the racket. The case in question relates to land in and around Bachhela Bachheli village in Sirsaganj tehsil of Firozabad. The Agra-Lucknow Expressway crosses this village and the land for the project was acquired on December 30, 2013.

Sharma said excess compensation was paid to 11 land owners in 2015, while payment to 11 others was pending.

“FIR has been lodged against 22 land owners and five chakbandi (revenue) officers by officials of UP Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA),” said the district magistrate, who added that recovery certificates (RC) would be issued to realise the extra payment made to them.

The DM said the land records had been rectified. She added that though the land was acquired in Sirsaganj tehsil, sale deeds by these 22 land owners were executed in Shikohabad, “thus FIR was lodged at Shikohabad police station.” Som Pal Singh, in-charge of Shikohabad police station, confirmed that a case in this regard had been registered.

“The case was registered on Sunday night and action will follow after investigation,” he stated.

The Agra-Lucknow Expressway, an ambitious project of former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, was inaugurated during the SP regime after being completed in record time.