Ghaziabad, Nov 7 (IANS): The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has waived a Rs.3.70 crore levy on the Haj House here in Uttar Pradesh. In its 138th board meeting Thursday, the authority passed eight resolutions including the waiver of the levy.

Talking to reporters, GDA vice chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav said the Haj House, being constructed in Ghaziabad by the Uttar Pradesh State Haj Committee, has been granted relief on the levies of the authority.

In 2005, the levy on conversion of land use and approval of map was also waived for this building.

The Haj Committee has now applied for improvement in the existing map.

The total levy, both for the original map approval and the amended map approval, along with conversion charges, was estimated at Rs.3.70 crore.

Other proposals that the GDA board passed included the setting up of a park on forest land. About Rs.10 crore would be invested on the park. This proposal, however, will be implemented only once clearance is received from the municipal corporation.

The board also passed a proposal for enhancing free-hold charges on prevailing rates. Earlier, property was made free-hold after paying the full levy on original price, which was very meagre, and the GDA was incurring losses. That is why the authority has updated the rule, using current rates, if the applicant wants to make a property free-hold.

The GDA has also put in place more stringent provisions for bidders, and introduced, recently, a two-bid system.

The board further updated interest rates on the levies on developers, to one percent over the HUDCO (Housing and Urban Development Corporation) rates, which have come to 19.75 percent, instead of the earlier 15.75 percent.

The vice chairman of GDA explained that the board acted as per government orders, which provide for charging an interest rate of one percent above the prevailing HUDCO rates; since HUDCO had increased rates, the board too had updated the rate.