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Mohali: Eyeing Aerotropolis expansion, GMADA to acquire 2,490 acres
Located near the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport on both sides of the Zirakpur-Banur road, the Aerotropolis township is planned to include around 8,600 residential plots
In a major push to expand its ambitious Aerotropolis township, the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) has approved the acquisition of approximately 2,489.581 acres of land in Banur. The decision was taken at a recent GMADA board meeting as part of the larger Aerotropolis extension plan.
The move comes in addition to the ongoing acquisition of 3,553 acres in Blocks E to J of the Aerotropolis project, which is an extension of Aerocity in Mohali. Located near the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport on both sides of the Zirakpur-Banur road, the Aerotropolis township is planned to include around 8,600 residential plots ranging from 100 to 2,000 square yards, along with commercial and institutional zones.
Comprising both residential and commercial spaces, it is 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
Fresh areas identified for acquisition
The newly approved acquisition will cover land in Sekhan Majra, Kurara, Tangori, Manakpur Kallar, Azizpur, Karala and Isa Khan villages, all falling within Banur’s residential zone.
Officials clarified that land where promoters have already availed salability benefits under instructions issued by the Punjab housing and urban development department, as well as areas falling under the jurisdiction of the municipal council, Banur, will be excluded after due verification.
A GMADA official said that during the ongoing acquisition process, a substantial stretch of land was found between the already acquired area and the national highway. “We have decided to acquire that land as well to ensure planned urban expansion. Since the master plans for Blocks E to J are already approved, fresh plans will be prepared for the newly added areas. The extension will include both residential and commercial sites,” the official said.
GMADA chief administrator Sakshi Sawhney confirmed that the proposal to acquire nearly 2,490 acres in Banur has received formal approval.
The acquisition proposal follows recent amendments to the Banur master plan approved by the Punjab regional and town planning and development authority. The changes converted the concerned land use into a residential zone.
Delays and policy hurdles
The Aerotropolis project had received approval from chief minister Bhagwant Mann in June 2022. In June 2024, the chief minister directed GMADA to expedite the project.
However, progress was slowed by the introduction of the Punjab government’s new land pooling policy, which was withdrawn within three months of its announcement, causing delays in the acquisition process.
Land earmarked for the township spans several villages, including Bakarpur, Rurka, Safipur, Matran, Siaun, Manauli, Patton, Saini Majra, Chau Majra, Naraingarh and Chhat.
GMADA is also carrying out development works worth ₹509 crore across 1,600 acres in Blocks B, C and D of the project. Block A remains embroiled in litigation linked to the guava orchard compensation scam. The scam surfaced in May 2023 when nearly 100 individuals, including more than a dozen officials, allegedly defrauded the housing department of ₹140 crore by falsely claiming higher compensation for land shown as guava orchards. Investigations later revealed that over 90% of the land was actually under wheat and paddy cultivation. The land for these blocks was acquired nearly nine years ago, and letters of intent have already been issued to landowners.
