The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) and UP Housing Board are set to get funds to acquire land for new townships that will extend the NCR city’s limits towards Meerut, Hapur and Delhi. The UP Government recently approved a policy to extend city limits across the state and will soon release Rs 4,000 crore for it. Officials said the GDA and the housing board were expected to get a sizable chunk of funds.
The GDA officials said, was planning to acquire land in Loni, Modinagar and Dasna. Extending the NCR city’s limits has been necessitated by the growing population which is expected to rise further with the inauguration of RRTS later this year and other mode of commute.
The UP cabinet approved a policy to extend the new limits of crises across the state. Under this policy, the development authorities in various districts will acquire land to construct new townships. Around Rs 4,000 is likely to be distributed among the authorities.
Apart from allotting funds the government will also bear 50% of the land acquisition cost for period of 20 years. The government will not charge any interest on this. Land acquisition is the most cumbersome and expensive process for any development authority. The government’s move will definitely encourage authorities.
The GDA hasn’t had much success with townships. The authority’s latest project-Madhuban Bapudham-almost sucked its coffers dry when it had to pay an additional compensation of Rs 1,100 crore to farmers from whom land was taken following a 2016 Supreme Court order.
Under the new policy the GDA will now have to acquire at least 25 acres to develop a township. The core city area is choked. So, we will be eyeing the city’s outskirts like Loni, Modinagar, Muradnagar and Dasna where land is still available. Ghaziabad is set to see a significant rise in population and housing projects because of a paradigm shift in the way people will move with the launch of the RRTS,” Tripathi said.
Apart from Madhuban Bapudham there are two other townships in the city but both have been developed by either private builders or a consortium. In 2005 the UP government came up with a Hi-Tech township policy for which the minimum land requirements was 1,500 acres. For an integrated township policy, the government mandated 25 acres. While Hi-Tech township was developed by Wave Group and Sun City, Crossing Republik came up under the integrated township policy. The cabinet meanwhile also approved Rs 547 crores under the Amrut-2 scheme for the construction of 68 MLD STP that will benefit 10 wards in the city.
