According to officials, the due amount is related to the purchase of residential plots, flats, shops, and others in Ghaziabad.

“We have issued notices to about 2,639 defaulters and have asked them to clear their dues. In case they fail to comply, we will refer the matter to the administration for issue of recovery certificates (RC),” Vivek Mishra, secretary of GDA, told HT.

Officials said RC is a legal mechanism for recovery/collection of dues pending to the government, and it may also lead to confiscation of property, attachment, and even selling of the property.

GDA officials said that of the total defaulters, 1,808 defaulters have not paid their dues for over a decade, 316 for 5-10 years, 335 for anything between one year and up to five years, and 148 have dues pending for a year. There are 32 defaulters who have not paid development charges, they added.