Authority to hire consultant for New Noida project soon

NOIDA: The blueprint for ‘New Noida’, a new city to be brought under the ambit of Noida, is to be worked out soon as the Noida authority is likely to hire a consultant for the project

NOIDA: The blueprint for ‘New Noida’, a new city to be brought under the ambit of Noida, is to be worked out soon as the Noida authority is likely to hire a consultant for the project.

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The consultant will design the layout, define land-use, development model and other details for the New Noida project that aims to acquire at least 20,000 hectares of agricultural land increasing the size of the city to double of what it is today.

“We are likely to issue a request for a proposal inviting bids from interested agencies. Once the agency is selected, we will plan out the development model. The authority will start its job only after the state government approves the development model,” said Ritu Maheshwari, chief executive officer of the Noida authority.

Officials said the state government has not specified whether it will acquire agricultural land from farmers as per provisions of the Land Pooling Policy, direct purchase or the Land Act, 2013.

“Nothing has been decided yet. After the consultant suggests some models, the state government will finalise the matter and issue directions,” said Maheshwari.

On January 3 this year, the Uttar Pradesh government had decided to add 80 more villages to Noida – 60 from Bulandshahr and 20 from Gautam Budh Nagar – with an aim to ready industrial land so as to create opportunities by boosting growth in the region, as no more land is available within the existing city limits for new allotments. As of now, Noida is spread over 54 villages.

At present, Noida is spread across 20,000 hectares, bookended by the Yamuna and Hindon rivers. It has around 16,000 hectares of urbanised area, of which 47% is for residential development, 13% industrial usage and the rest is for other usages such as commercial, institutional, and green purposes. It is left with about 250 hectares of land earmarked for industrial usage but is yet to be acquired from farmers, officials said.