The transfer of Indirapuram from the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) to the corporation, which has been in progress since 2016, might soon be finalised. During a meeting in Meerut held recently, the GDA board, led by divisional commissioner Selva Kumari J, agreed on the cost estimates for the handover. These estimates were developed after a joint survey of civic amenities conducted by the corporation and the GDA in June.

Municipal Commissioner Vikramaditya Singh Malik announced that the GDA will transfer INR 185 crore to the corporation. Of this amount, INR 50 crore will be allocated for repairing and upgrading the 80 km road network, INR 25 crore will be designated for sewage management, and INR 20 crore will be used for improving water infrastructure. Additionally, INR 15 crore will be set aside for solid waste management, INR 13.7 crore for installing and repairing streetlights, and INR 11 crore for maintaining parks and green spaces.

In the coming six months, the GDA will also transfer two land parcels to the GCM: a 4,000 sqm plot for a waste transfer station and a 4,500 sqm plot for a material recovery centre. According to Malik, the development authority plans to distribute the payment over the next 10 months. An initial INR 70 crore will be paid upfront, marking the start of the handover process. The second instalment of INR 40 crore is scheduled for 31 December, with an additional INR 40 crore to be transferred on 1 March 2025.

The remaining INR 35 crore will be transferred by July of the following year. GDA Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh informed TOI that after the board meeting in August, the divisional commissioner instructed the Authority's vice chairperson and the commissioner to negotiate and finalise the handover of Indirapuram within two weeks. Singh mentioned that, after a series of meetings, the GDA agreed to provide the GMC with a total of INR 185 crore to complete the outstanding infrastructure work necessary for initiating the handover process.

The deadlock over the transfer of the 1,222-acre township has persisted since 2016 due to disagreements on the amount of money the GDA would provide to the GMC. The civic body had previously demanded INR 365 crore, citing significant pending repairs to roads, sewers, and streetlights in the township. They requested that the GDA either finish the necessary work or provide the funds for the corporation to complete it.

The GDA contended that since the GMC already collects house tax, it has no entitlement to additional funds. According to regulations, the GMC allocates development funds ranging from INR 50 lakh to INR 1 crore for each ward. However, due to the stalled handover of Indirapuram, the GMC has not paid these development funds for the seven wards that emerged from the 2016 delimitation process, which had previously been part of the Makanpur ward, over the past eight years.

In December of the previous year, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath set a deadline of February 2024 to resolve the issue. However, with the model code of conduct coming into effect in March for the general elections, progress was minimal over the following months. Councillor Sanjay Singh from ward number 100 in Indirapuram commented that after many years of effort to secure the handover of the township, justice had finally been achieved for the 4.62 lakh residents. He expressed optimism that the township would experience comprehensive development under the civic body.

The prolonged dispute over the handover of Indirapuram from the Ghaziabad Development Authority to the corporation is close to being resolved. The GDA has committed to transferring INR 185 crore for critical infrastructure upgrades and land for waste management within the next 10 months. The initial funds will be provided soon, with subsequent payments scheduled through July next year. This resolution comes after years of negotiations and disagreements over funding levels. Councillor Sanjay Singh welcomed the development, emphasising that it will bring much-needed progress and development to Indirapuram's 4.62 lakh residents.