The Uttar Pradesh government has dismissed senior Provincial Civil Services (PCS) officer Harish Chandra from service over his alleged involvement in a land scam valued at approximately ₹4,000 crore in Noida. Harish Chandra, who previously served as secretary of the Noida Development Authority, was posted as the local representative of the Food and Civil Supplies Department in Kolkata, West Bengal, at the time of the order. The dismissal order was issued by Principal Secretary for Appointment and Personnel M. Devaraj, bringing an end to disciplinary proceedings that were initiated nearly thirteen years ago.
Irregularities in Shahdara Village Land Allotment
The matter centers on approximately 4,00,447 square meters of land situated across Sectors 140A, 141, 142, and 143 in Shahdara village under the Noida Development Authority. According to official findings, the land had already been acquired and taken into possession by the authority. However, procedural norms were bypassed to execute lease-back transactions favoring private entities and outsiders. The estimated market value of the land in question is around ₹4,000 crore, making it one of the most significant administrative inquiries involving authority officials.
Inquiry findings revealed that satellite imagery, which was mandatory for surveying and settling habitation claims, was deliberately avoided. The omission prevented an accurate verification of the ground reality and the actual claims of the occupants. The survey records instead incorporated individuals from outside the village, newly added landowners, and private commercial firms, granting them unlawful advantages over public assets.
Procedural Lapses and Misleading Submissions
Critical gaps were identified in the primary documentation used to push the lease-back arrangements through the administrative pipeline. Official records showed that Column 9 of the survey form, which was reserved for the name of the original cultivator, was left blank. Furthermore, Column 13 failed to mention the specific land area referred to the regularization committee. Despite these major omissions, the process was permitted to move forward without required corrections.
The inquiry further established that misleading reports were submitted before the high-level lease-back committee, which included the District Magistrate and the Senior Superintendent of Police, as well as the Noida Authority Board. Harish Chandra was found to have abused his administrative post by concealing material facts, disregarding statutory regulations, and enabling undue financial gains for private parties at the expense of state property.
Inquiry Findings and Final Disciplinary Action
The administrative action originates from disciplinary proceedings launched by the state government on September 27, 2013, with the inquiry entrusted to the Divisional Commissioner of Meerut. The commissioner’s detailed report concluded that the officer was prima facie responsible for causing financial loss to the state, suppressing critical records, and extending improper benefits to private entities.
Given the gravity of the allegations involving ₹4,000 crore in public losses, the state sought advice from the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission, which formally approved the proposed action on January 6, 2022. The state government also factored in judicial proceedings and findings from the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court before delivering the final order. With the issuance of the formal dismissal order, all pending departmental disciplinary proceedings against Harish Chandra have been officially concluded.
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