Noida May Get Metropolitan Corporation:Key Highlights
- UP proposes a Metropolitan Corporation to replace the Noida Authority, enhancing transparency and citizen participation.
- Supreme Court directions (Aug 2025) prompted the review following a land compensation scam.
- SIT report flagged issues: centralised powers, weak oversight, and lack of transparency.
- Elected ward representatives would give residents a direct voice in planning and governance.
The Uttar Pradesh government is considering a major overhaul of Noida’s urban governance framework, with the Infrastructure and Industrial Development Department (UPSIDA) preparing a detailed proposal for the formation of a Metropolitan Corporation in the city. The proposal will now be placed before the state cabinet for a final decision, officials confirmed on Thursday.
The move follows directions issued by the Supreme Court on August 13, 2025, in a case related to an alleged land compensation scam involving the Noida Authority. The apex court, while monitoring criminal proceedings and successive Special Investigation Team (SIT) probes, went beyond individual culpability and flagged deeper systemic failures in Noida’s governance structure.
Officials mentioned that the proposal was formalised in a note prepared by the state industry department, the Hindustan Times has got a copy. The note explains the reasons for changing the current authority, driven model to a metropolitan governance model, which will have more transparency and participation of citizens.
Most of the residents in Noida are supportive of the change and say that, for a long time, they have been asking for the replacement of Noida Authority by a municipal body which would be more efficient in handling the civic issues.
“We demanded replacement of Noida authority with a municipal body that can better take care of the civic functions. We wrote to the government, Noida authority, and Noida MLA Pankaj Singh over it. We also suggested that if they do not replace it, then they must establish a separate municipal wing that takes care of the municipal work because the industrial body’s job is to acquire land, develop it and sell the same instead of having expertise of looking after the municipal work,” said advocate PS Jain, president of Delhi-NCR RWAs (CONRWA), a citizens’ group.
The Supreme Court case that led to the review was basically about accusations that some officials of the Noida Authority were working together with the private beneficiaries to get enhanced land compensations illegally, the officials said. As the top court was going through the SIT records, it was noticed that the matters not only involved the wrongdoings of the individuals but also the manifestation of the structural weaknesses of the institutions.
In the August order, the court emphasized the necessity for a complete overhaul of the institutions and warned that making small changes here and there in the way the government works will not solve the problem of bad governance that is deeply rooted there. The SIT report essentially points out to:
- Excessive centralisation of decision-making powers
- Land allotment policies allegedly favouring private developers
- Weak internal oversight and accountability mechanisms
- Lack of transparency in policy decisions and project reporting
The panel also pointed out that there was a lack of regular public disclosure on the progress of the projects and the results of the policies, which was coupled with a wide range of discretionary powers being exercised by a very small group of officials.
Most importantly, the SIT has cautioned that Noida is almost out of its land bank and this could pose a serious problem for its development if the governance structure is not changed soon. As a result of these discoveries the SIT has suggested that the present authority led model be substituted by a Metropolitan Corporation with elected ward representatives.
Officials say that such a structure would enable the citizens to have a direct say in urban decision making, get a better accountability and have their local issues reflected in planning and policy formulation. Cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai were mentioned as instances where the adoption of a metropolitan governance model has led to better service delivery and greater public engagement.
The SIT also told the Supreme Court that it had uncovered 20 cases where the land compensation payments were exaggerated by the Noida Authority officials to the tune of around 118 crore. It suggested a thorough investigation into the officials' and their relatives' assets, hinting at the possibility of misuse of official position.
On the other hand, the spokesperson of Uttar Pradesh industry minister Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi declined to comment on the proposal when a representative of Hindustan Times went to him.
If the cabinet gives its nod, the establishment of a Metropolitan Corporation will be a major milestone in the urban governance of Noida, thus it may lead to a complete change in the way one of the most extensively planned cities of India is being run in the years to come.
Image source- scobserver.in
