UP Govt Sets Up Panel To Fast-Track Land Acquisition For Noida Industrial Development

Lucknow, Aug 19 (KNN) The Uttar Pradesh government has constituted a high-level committee to devise a strategy for the effective utilisation of land notified for industrial and urban development under the Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway authorities.

The move follows a presentation by the state’s investment promotion agency, Invest UP, which highlighted significant gaps between the land notified, master planned and actually acquired for development. 

According to the presentation, over 4 lakh hectares in the region have been notified for expansion, of which only 1.5 lakh hectares are covered under master plans. 

Just 40,000 hectares have been acquired so far, leaving nearly 2.5 lakh hectares neither acquired nor available for construction, as approvals cannot be sanctioned in such areas.

“This leaves large stretches of notified land underdeveloped and discourages potential investors,” Chief Secretary S.P. Goyal observed in the order constituting the committee, according to TOI.

He cautioned that, at the current pace, full acquisition of the notified land could take several years, leaving vast tracts locked and underutilised.

Currently, the Noida Authority covers 20,316 hectares, with an additional 20,911 hectares added under the New Noida Master Plan 2041. 

Greater Noida spans 31,592 hectares, while another 39,733 hectares have been earmarked under its Phase-2 Master Plan. 

The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) accounts for the largest notified area of nearly 2.7 lakh hectares, but only 24,700 hectares are urbanisable under its 2031 plan. 

Officials admitted that without reforms in acquisition processes, large portions of land would remain idle, constraining industrial allotments and slowing job creation.

The Invest UP presentation also underlined difficulties faced by owners of properties legally sanctioned by local bodies before notification. 

These owners are now required to obtain no-objection certificates (NOCs) from development authorities for reconstruction or new approvals, a process described as ‘impractical and burdensome’ by Goyal.

To address these challenges, the state has set up a six-member panel chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary (Planning). 

The committee includes the Additional Chief Secretary (Housing and Urban Planning), the CEOs of Invest UP and YEIDA, the Chief Town and Country Planner, and a senior officer from the Justice Department. The CEO of Invest UP will serve as member secretary.

The panel has been tasked with studying best practices from other states, conducting a detailed analysis of notified, master-planned and acquired land under the three authorities, and submitting its recommendations within 15 days. 

Its mandate includes outlining measures to accelerate acquisition, streamline approvals and unlock land parcels for industrial use.

(KNN Bureau)