Former chief secretary Rahul Bhatnagar is new head of GNIDA

GREATER NOIDA: Rahul Bhatnagar, former chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh, took charge as chairperson of the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) on Thursday. He said his focus would be on understanding the area in totality and to make a strategy for its holistic development.

When asked about his priorities, Bhatnagar said that though it was too early for him to comment, his emphasis would be on devising a transparent working environment. “I need to understand the problems and issues related to Greater Noida in detail before I work out my priorities. However, having viewed a presentation by a team of GNIDA officials, I believe the current burning issue is the builder-homebuyer impasse. The issues being faced by hundreds of innocent homebuyers will be resolved at the earliest, as per the directions of the chief minister,” he said.

“My aim will also be to provide entrepreneurs a conducive environment for setting up industry and for ease of doing business. I will motivate people to invest in the area, so as to promote the recently announced UP industrial policy. Projects like the two government hospitals in Greater Noida, Gautam Buddha University and Greater Noida stadium will be studied, and strategies devised for their optimum use. I will also propose that these facilities be adopted by the state government,” he said.

On being informed about several leaseback irregularities involving farmers and GNIDA officials, Bhatnagar said he would have the issue examined in detail and see that the guilty were brought to book. Bhatnagar was appointed chief secretary in September 2016 and till now had additional charge of principal resident commissioner UP, chairman PICUP, and infrastructure and industrial development commissioner. Now, besides being designated as chairman of GNIDA, the 1983-batch IAS officer also holds the post of the state’s investment commissioner.