UP Govt ’s approval to Master Plan 2031 phase-2 for new development: Yeida

Yeida aims to develop urban areas considering the future requirements in these areas falling in the catchment area of Noida International Airport, slated to be operational in April, 2025

GREATER NOIDA: The Yamuna Expressway industrial development authority (Yeida) on Monday said that the Uttar Pradesh government has approved the Master Plan 2031 Phase-2 for urban centres for Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras and Agra areas along the 165km Yamuna e-way.

Yeida will work for the rapid infrastructure and urban development in Mathura, Agra, Aligarh, and Hathras, taking the major industrial, residential, and commercial projects to the next stage. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

Yeida intends to develop urban areas in these districts, considering the future requirements in these areas falling in the catchment area of Noida International Airport, slated to be operational in April, 2025, said officials.

Yeida will work for the rapid infrastructure and urban development in Mathura, Agra, Aligarh, and Hathras, taking the major industrial, residential, and commercial projects to the next stage.

“With this approval, Yeida will expedite critical projects, including the Heritage City in Mathura’s Raya Urban Centre and the Logistics Park in Aligarh’s Tappal-Bajna Urban Centre. The approval is in line with the operational launch of Noida International Airport in April 2025, anticipated to act as a major catalyst for the region’s economic growth… the authority will now pace up the land acquisition and project execution across these regions, marking the end of years of administrative delays and setting the stage for comprehensive urban growth along the Yamuna Expressway,” said Yeida’s chief executive officer Arun Vir Singh.

To be sure, Yeida’s notified area covers 3,352 square kilometres (sqms) in the six districts including Gautam Budh Nagar, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras and Agra.

The authority has a mandate to take care of the urbanisation on the land of 1,149 villages. The development is divided into two phases: Phase I, covering 759 sqms across Gautam Budh Nagar and Bulandshahr, and Phase II, covering 2,593 sqms in Mathura, Agra, Aligarh, and Hathras.

Officials said the Master Plan-2031 Phase-2 proposal was first introduced in 2012-13 but remained pending for over a decade until its recent approval.

In 2017, the UP government had approved two major urban centres under the Master Plan-2031 —Raya Urban Centre in Mathura, and Tappal-Bajna Urban Centre in Aligarh.

“The Raya Urban Centre in Mathura is an important hub for cultural and religious tourism in the Braj region. In October 2024, the UP government approved amendments to the Master Plan-2031 Phase-2, increasing the area of this urban centre from 9,366 hectares to 11,653 hectares. A key feature of this region is the proposed Heritage City project that spans 753 hectares and is estimated to cost ₹7,200 crore,” said Singh.

Under the project’s framework, Yeida will provide the land while a concessionaire will handle development costs under a 70-year concession model.

The Tappal-Bajna Urban Centre in Aligarh is located near the Noida International Airport at Jewar. This urban township features a 364-acre state-of-the-art Logistics Park designed to meet the increasing cargo demands of the National Capital Region (NCR).

The park is expected to serve as a major hub for industrial growth and supply chain enhancement.

“In Agra, the proposed New Agra Urban Centre spans 10,500 hectares along the Yamuna Expressway, focusing on commercial and tourism-driven development. This area will include commercial spaces, tourism infrastructure, and recreational zones while adhering to environmental sustainability practices under the Taj Trapezium Zone regulations. Yeida has engaged a private consultant to draft a comprehensive master plan, expected to be completed within nine months,” said Singh.

In Hathras, Yeida is in the process of appointing a consultant to prepare a DPR for the proposed urban centre. The exact development area is expected to be finalised soon.