NOIDA: The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), anticipating a surge in economic development when commercial operations start at the Noida International Airport in October, has decided to establish four integrated special economic zones (SEZs) on 10,500 hectares near Agra.
YEIDA officials said the SEZs would house electronics and electric vehicle manufacturing clusters and data centres, which will operate as independent townships with residential, commercial, and institutional facilities for employees and workers developed around them.
The YEIDA board, during a meeting on Monday, approved the project within a one-and-a-half km radius on both sides of the Yamuna Expressway near Agra. A consultant, said officials, has been directed to submit a master plan within the next two months.
YEIDA CEO Arun Vir Singh said, “The SEZs or industrial townships will feature significant green spaces, and we will only allow non-polluting industries, given the zone is environmentally sensitive.”
There will be special attention on developing the tourism and hospitality sector in the region, as well, due to its proximity to the Taj Mahal and other tourist destinations, said officials.
Industries will take up 25% of the land, residential areas 20%, recreational green spaces 17%, transportation facilities 13%, institutional and tourism areas 7% each, commercial areas 4%, and others 7%.
On Monday, the YEIDA board approved an aviation hub, as well, on 1,050 hectares near the upcoming airport along the YXP. The Authority will soon hire a consultant to prepare a detailed project report. Industries manufacturing planes, engines, and spare parts will come up in the hub.
In another significant development, the board allocated 125 acres in Sector 28 for a semiconductor park that the Hiranandani Group is ready to set up. Earlier, the Authority had set aside 91 acres for the park, but the board gave its in-principle approval to the changes in the layout.
Singh said Tarq Semiconductors Private Limited under the Hiranandani Group had filed an application with the Central government under the Indian Semiconductor Mission (ISM) scheme in April last year, and the minimum land requirement is 125 acres under the scheme.
“Of the 125 acres, 114 acres will be designated for industries and 11 acres for green spaces where no construction will be allowed. The company will get the land after approvals from the Centre and the UP Cabinet,” said the YEIDA CEO.
The board also said yes to setting up air quality monitoring systems at two locations, acquiring five water sprinkler trucks, and anti-smog guns. These works require at least Rs 3 crore.
The board also approved the proposal to exclude institutional land for schools, colleges, and universities seeking land parcels of 10 acres or above from the e-auction process. They will be allotted land based on objective parameters and interviews. Previously, the threshold was 25 acres, but several schools and colleges have been seeking land of 10-25 acres.
On the revised dues of the developer of nine projects, which owe nearly Rs 4,800 crore to the Authority, the board sought a review by another third-party CA firm before urging builders to clear their dues. This decision will again come up at the next board meeting in February. The revisions will incorporate a two-year zero period due to the Covid pandemic from April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2022. At least 10,000 buyers have flats in these projects.
