GHAZIABAD: The GDA Board now holds the authority to change land use from agricultural to residential for townships developed under the CM Urban Expansion New City Promotion Scheme, a power that was previously with the state government. This modification will enable the GDA to address delays or disputes related to land-use issues in its projects, particularly in the Harnandipuram township, where over 80% of the 501 hectares proposed for acquisition is currently agricultural land.
“Change of land use (CLU) is a long and complex process requiring state government approval, which can take months. In 2023, the state government allowed private real estate developers to approach the development authority for changing land use from agricultural to residential for townships of 50 acres or more under the New Township Policy,” stated GDA secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.
However, similar benefits were not made available for townships being developed by governmental bodies like the GDA, which were still required to seek permission for changing land use. “After considerable discussion, the UP government recognized this as discriminatory. Hence, to encourage townships under the CM Urban Expansion New City Promotion Scheme, it allowed development authority boards to change land use categories,” Singh explained to TOI.
The government order detailing these changes was recently dispatched to all development authorities by Principal Secretary P. Guru Prasad of the Housing and Urban Planning Department. This order will have immediate effects on the Harnandipuram township, a project the GDA is developing under the said scheme, for which the state government has allocated Rs 400 crore. Since over 80% of the 501 hectares earmarked for the township is agricultural land, the new law will allow the GDA to swiftly change the land use to residential once it acquires the land from farmers by obtaining approval from its board.
