Noida, Feb 9 (PTI) Issues of homebuyers in Gautam Buddh Nagar district of western Uttar Pradesh have once again become the focal point of agendas of several political parties ahead of the state Assembly polls.
While candidates of the BJP, Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party, among others, have promised to resolve the issues, Annu Khan, a homebuyers’ rights activist, is also in the fray as an independent candidate.
Khan (44) is contesting to topple BJP MLA Tejpal Nagar in the Dadri Assembly constituency, which comprises parts of Noida Extension (also called Greater Noida West) and Greater Noida.
The constituency has around six lakh people eligible to vote, with flat owners and homebuyers constituting around 1.25 lakh voters in the region.
Dadri had over 4.41 lakh voters in 2017 with a voting percentage of 60 per cent. BJP’s Nagar had got 1.41 lakh votes, 53 per cent of total votes polled, in the last elections.
Asked what prompted him to fight the elections, Khan told PTI, “It’s been 12 years fighting for the rights of homebuyers. Three governments have changed and the next elections are once again here but people’s problems remain unresolved and we are back to square one.” He said people at first do not get their homes at promised time, then they have to wait years for getting their registries done and if someone is lucky to get possession, they have to protest every Saturday and Sunday to demand basic amenities in their society by builders.
“For the past decade, many homebuyers have been engaged in the initial three problems only. Once that is achieved, the major fight for changing the land status from leasehold to freehold will be fought,” he said.
Land under the Noida Authority and the Greater Noida Authority is leased for 90 years and not like other places where a property once owned continues to be with the person forever, or until sold, he explained.
Khan said as an election candidate his top priority is to resolve problems of homebuyers–from possession of flats, to registries, basic amenities and freeholding the properties for ownership.
After that, he said, there are several other issues revolving around issues like unemployment, education and school fees, public transport, health care, civic amenities which need to be addressed.
“It’s been 12 years that we started demand for metro rail connectivity in Noida Extension. There’s no government college in the area which is home to lakhs of service class people and villagers. There is no city bus service, neither parks for children,” he said.
Khan said the region lacks a government hospital and people were charged exorbitantly for treatment by private hospitals during COVID-19 pandemic’s first and second waves.
He said people lost their jobs during pandemic but schools of their children continued to charge them fees to the tune of Rs 15,000.
“But the public representative, who could have been the voice for the people, remained mute and disappointing us. Now if people themselves have to get roads made, water supply ensured, then what’s the option left except for people to fight the polls themselves,” Khan said.
On remarks of being a non-serious candidate, Khan said he was contesting the polls to fight and has been good response by the people in the constituency. “I have visited several societies and interacted with the people. The response has been good. I have even visited almost every village in my area and am overwhelmed with the response I have been getting,” he added. PTI KIS RDK RDK
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