GDA to take over land for Aerocity theme-based township

Officials said they have identified three villages—Morti, Ator, and Mevla Agri—and will proceed with direct purchase of land for the proposed township

Ghaziabad: The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has plans to take over land of three villages for its proposed aerocity-themed township near the proposed international cricket stadium in Raj Nagar Extension, officials said on Tuesday.

The proposed aerocity-themed township will be developed near the proposed international cricket stadium and will feature mixed land use, commercial and institutional facilities. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Officials said they have identified three villages—Morti, Ator, and Mevla Agri—and will proceed with direct purchase of land for the proposed township.

“The GDA has identified three villages, and a minimum of about 100 hectares of land will be acquired through direct purchase. We are sending a communication to district administration to form a committee to decide the land rates. Since the villages fall under the rural segment, the rates offered will be four times the circle rates,” Vivek Mishra, secretary of GDA, told HT.

The proposed aerocity-themed township will be developed near the proposed international cricket stadium and will feature mixed land use, commercial and institutional facilities.

“It will house malls, shopping complexes, stay facilities, among others, especially for visitors attending cricket matches at the international cricket stadium. Furthermore, the new township will be close to the upcoming Harnandipuram township (proposed over 521 hectares), and its residents will also be able to shop there,” Mishra added.

The cricket stadium is proposed to be built at a cost of ₹680 crore.

Likewise, the GDA also plans to launch the first phase of its Harnandipuram township in May/June.

The farmers, however, said that the farmers tend to lose on account of their lands being taken over.

“The prevailing circle rates of these villages and also for those falling under the Harnandipuram scheme are very low. Farmers, if they want to sell their land, tend to lose as the rates offered are less as compared to the prevailing market rates. The agencies tend to gain as they develop commercial facilities and sell these at very high rates. So, the farmers generally oppose giving away their land,” said Daksh Nagar, president of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Anaj) and resident of nearby Mathurapur village.