Infrastructure
Ghaziabad Authority Approves Direct Land Purchase For Critical Road Infrastructure In Raj Nagar Extension
Longest steel span of Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor (Representative Image)
The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has approved a significant infrastructure proposal to directly purchase land for eight critical roads in Raj Nagar Extension (RNE), addressing years of stalled development due to land acquisition challenges, the Hindustan Times reported.
The decision marks a breakthrough for the area's deteriorating traffic and connectivity issues.
The infrastructure project involves eight roads under the RNE zonal plan, including five roads with 45-meter widths, two roads with 24-meter widths, and one road with a 30-meter width.
These roads have faced development hurdles for nearly a decade due to land acquisition bottlenecks, the absence of GDA's land bank, legal complications related to development charges, and high investment requirements for direct land purchase.
“The zonal plan for RNE was prepared about 8-10 years ago, and there were legal issues that GDA faced on account of development charges. So, the roads under the zonal plan faced issues. Further, there was no land bank with the authority, and direct purchase of land meant incurring additional investment. So, the development of roads faced hurdles all these years,” a former town planner from GDA was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
The decision also allows GDA to sanction map layouts for high-rise and residential projects, generating additional revenue from development activities while addressing the area's deteriorating traffic conditions.
RNE remains the only zone under GDA jurisdiction with a completed zonal plan, making this approval particularly significant. Under the new Master Plan 2031, GDA has expanded from eight zones to 15 zones across Ghaziabad city, Loni, and Modinagar/Muradnagar.
Peak-hour traffic chaos and poor connectivity have prompted many residents to consider relocating to better-connected areas near NH-9 and Greater Noida.
The direct land purchase mechanism represents a strategic shift in GDA's infrastructure development approach and could potentially serve as a model for future zonal developments across the region.
