GDA approves 2 Metro phases

The board of governors of the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has finally decided that two additional phases of the Metro rail — 9.1-km and 12km-long — will be brought to Ghaziabad. The funds for these two phases will be collected by increasing the external development charges on all properties in the city. Uttar Pradesh principal secretary for housing and urban development, Arun Kumar, said, ‘‘So far, GDA has been charging Rs 1,870 per sqm as development fees. This will be raised by Rs 320 per sqm to pay for bringing the Metro railway on two new routes. One will be from Delhi’s Dilshad Garden to the New Bus Terminal in Ghaziabad. The other, 12km-long, will be from Vaishali to Noida Sector 62 via Kinaoni.’’ Kumar added that bodies like the municipal corporation, housing board and UP State Industrial Corporation will also be asked to contribute. The total cost of the two new Metro rail projects, and the one ongoing, up to Vaishali, is likely to be about Rs 2,300 crore. Officials also said the GDA was working on building a permanent land bank of 1,500 acre in the city to help towards planned development.