NOIDA: The district administration in Noida has successfully reclaimed a 2,000 square meter parcel of panchayat land in Dalelpur village, valued at approximately Rs 2.2 crore, by demolishing an illegally constructed farmhouse and swimming pool. This action took place on Thursday. Following the demolition, officials have announced plans to construct a new panchayat office on the recovered site, which will also serve as a permanent polling booth during elections – addressing a long-standing demand from local villagers.
This development is set to alleviate significant travel burdens for Dalelpur residents. Currently, villagers face a challenging journey of nearly 60 kilometers by road or must cross the Yamuna River by boat to reach Gulawali village in Sector 168 to cast their votes.
Satpal Chaprana, a Dalelpur villager who filed a complaint regarding the encroachment last month, highlighted that the land was originally designated for the panchayat office. Chaprana underscored the difficulties faced by residents, particularly the elderly, who have been unable to participate in elections for years due to the arduous two-hour road journey across three states (Haryana, Delhi, and then Noida) just to reach their assigned voting booth.
SDM (Sadar) Charul Yadav confirmed that a local villager named Neeraj Tyagi had erected the farmhouse and swimming pool on the land. Yadav stated that a notice was issued to Tyagi on May 22, following a joint survey conducted by the tehsil and revenue departments under the direction of District Magistrate Manish Verma. A final notice was subsequently issued on June 5, giving the encroacher three days to vacate the land. “But when there was no action from his side, we demolished the structures,” Yadav added.
Yadav further detailed that the demolition team razed a boundary wall, the pool, and a small building. Despite some attempts to protest, authorities were successful in removing individuals and clearing the land. Yadav reiterated that the site would be used for a new panchayat office, serving as a permanent voting location for future elections.
