GMADA to pump in ₹1,000 crore on readying infra before launching Aerotropolis

GMADA’s seventh independent township, Aerotropolis will come up on 1,653 acres in the vicinity of Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport on both sides of the Banur-Zirakpur road

Entangled in a web of litigation over offering housing without civic infrastructure in place, the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) has decided to roll out its latest offering — Aerotropolis — only after completing the development works, expected to cost ₹1,000 crore.

GMADA had started the process of land acquisition for Aerotropolis in May 2017. (HT File)

Its seventh independent township, Aerotropolis will come up on 1,653 acres in the vicinity of Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport on both sides of the Banur-Zirakpur road.

The authority is working to launch the development works in the last week of January and complete them in six months, following which the plots will be earmarked and the scheme will be offered to the public.

An extension of GMADA’s Aerocity, it will comprise both commercial and residential plots in four pockets – A, B, C and D. Expected to be around 8,500 in number, the residential plots will range from 100 to 2,000 square yards and are expected to cost ₹40,000 per square yard.

Notably, in 2021, the then principal secretary, housing and urban development, Sarvjit Singh had issued orders that development work be carried out first before launching any township.

“We will launch Aerotropolis only after ensuring that the civic infrastructure is ready. By January end, we will start the civil works, including construction of internal and external roads, parks, sewerage and electricity network. Then the plots will be earmarked for transparency in their location before being offered to public,” said Amandeep Bansal, chief administrator of GMADA.

GMADA had started the process of land acquisition for Aerotropolis in May 2017.

The land being acquired is located on either side of the Banur-Zirakpur road in Bakarpur, Rurka, Safipur, Matran, Siaun, Manauli, Patton, Saini Majra, Chau Majra, Naraingarh and Chhat villages.

Of the 1,653 acres, owners of 1,456 acres have applied for land pooling. Through the state government’s land pooling scheme, the landowners will be provided residential or commercial plots instead of monetary compensation in lieu of their land.

GMADA had announced land compensation for 1,600 acres in 11 villages in February 2021. While 1,400 acres is privately owned, what remains constitutes panchayat land. For those not opting for land pooling, the monetary compensation ranges from ₹1.82 crore to ₹4 crore per acre, the highest provided by GMADA till date.

A Delhi-based architecture studio has been hired to develop the project.

Seventh GMADA township

Christened Aerotropolis, GMADA’s latest township will be coming up on 1,653 acres in the vicinity of Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport on both sides of the Banur-Zirakpur road

Its GMADA’s seventh independent township, the other six being Aerocity, Knowledge City, IT City, all in the vicinity of the airport, and EcoCity, EduCity and MediCity in New Chandigarh, Mullanpur.

8,600

Total residential plots

₹40,000

Estimated per square yard cost

100 to 2,000 square yards

Range of residential plot sizes

₹1,000 crore

To be spent on township’s development