GDA seeks ₹2,400 cr for 21 infrastructure projects
Officials said a demand was raised to seek funds under the 16th Finance Commission. The list of projects includes demand for funds for major projects like the Metro extension from Sector 62, Noida to Sahibabad, for construction of slip roads of the Hindon elevated road; for multi-level automated parking in Raj Nagar District Centre; for redevelopment and beautification of 124 acres of city forest at Karhera; and for development of different zonal plan roads, among other facilities.
'The list of 21 projects and the funds required has been sent to state officials. The GDA has only sought the construction costs involved, and the land costs would be borne by the authority,' said GDA media coordinator Rudresh Shukla.
The discussions about funds were held during a video conference on May 14, officials said.
Senior UP housing board officials recently visited Ghaziabad, and sought construction of two slip roads to join the 10.3 kilometre (km) Hindon elevated road.
Under the plan, the GDA has proposed to build two ramps on the Hindon Elevated Road - an entry ramp in Indirapuram on the carriageway from Raj Nagar Extension to UP Gate and an exit ramp in Vasundhara on the carriageway from UP Gate to Raj Nagar Extension.
The GDA has sought ₹200 crore funds to execute the project.
As regards the Metro extension, the plans have been underway since 2020, but the denial of funding by the state government has hindered the project.
In January 2020, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) submitted two detailed project reports (DPRs) to GDA -- one of ₹1,517 crore for the Sector 62 to Sahibabad route, and the other of ₹1,808.22 crore for the Vaishali to Mohan Nagar route. In 2023, the authority decided to go ahead with the Sector 62 to Sahibabad route.
The UP government had denied funds for the link in January 2023. Later, in May 2023, it again declined the authority's request for 50% funding for the proposed Metro Link.
In January 2024, the DMRC submitted revised cost estimates of ₹1,873.31 crore for this route.
The GDA in its list has now sought funds of ₹1,873.31 crore for the Metro extension.
'Since GDA has limited funds, it has sought funding for these 21 projects from the Centre's 16th Finance Commission. The authority, with a lot of effort, was able to settle its two major loans amounting to about ₹1,500 crore in April. So, we now intend to go ahead with these projects,' Shukla added.
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