Ghaziabad: Uttar Pradesh Housing Board has scrapped the betterment fee and the requirement for a no-objection certificate (NOC) for development within 500 metres of its housing colonies, a move expected to reduce costs and delays for developers.In the city, the change will benefit projects around Vasundhara, Sidharth Vihar and Mandola, which are administered by the board. Earlier, landowners and developers seeking layout map approval for projects within the 500-metre radius had to obtain an NOC from the board and pay a betterment fee. Only after they had attained the NOC could they submit the layout plan to GDA for approval.“The provision was in effect since 2010. Landowners developing plots within 500 metres of a township or housing scheme of the board had to pay a betterment fee. The rationale was that surrounding areas benefited from improved infrastructure and amenities, which enhanced property values,” a housing board official said.The official added that the NOC was a prerequisite for development authorities to sanction layout maps, adding to the approval process and delaying projects.The move follows concerns that the betterment fee was inconsistent with the UP Building Construction and Development Byelaws 2025, which seek to accelerate urbanisation by removing procedural hurdles.“The bylaws did not provide for a betterment fee, yet it continued to be charged. We brought the issue to the govt’s notice, arguing that the levy ran contrary to the new framework and impeded urbanisation,” said developer Kumar Rajesh.Rajesh gave an example of a land parcel near Arthala, within 500 metres of Vasundhara township. Developers had to pay the Housing Board’s betterment fee, with a 6% penalty in case of delayed payment, and obtain an NOC before approaching the Authority for layout map approval.“GDA charges a development fee of Rs 4,165 per square metre. On top of that, we had to pay a betterment fee, which was almost half the development fee. We ended up paying two fees for the same development,” he said.Betterment fees varied across Uttar Pradesh depending on the city, zone and whether the property was residential or commercial. In Ghaziabad’s Housing Board colonies, the levy ranged from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 per square metre.
