Yogi govt to develop Kanpur-Lucknow Corridor as NCR counter magnet

The Corridor consists of Lucknow, Kanpur and Unnao districts and includes in its purview the area notified under four development bodies

In order to boost economic development in Uttar Pradesh's hinterland, the Yogi Adityanath government plans to develop the Kanpur-Lucknow Corridor as a counter magnet to the National Capital Region (NCR).

The Kanpur-Lucknow Corridor consists of Lucknow, Kanpur and Unnao districts and includes in its purview the area notified under four development bodies namely, Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), Kanpur Development Authority (KDA), Unnao Shuklaganj Development Authority (USDA) and Lucknow Industrial Development Authority (LIDA).

UP chief secretary Anup Chandra Pandey directed officials on Friday to draft a comprehensive action plan to develop the corridor as a potent counter magnet area to the NCR. He also asked officials to expedite the preparation of a master plan for the planned development of smaller towns and cities in UP that fall under NCR.

The government would also undertake measures to curb unplanned and unauthorised urban development in the NCR falling under its territory. Chairing the NCR steering committee meeting here, he called for subsuming the master plan of Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) with the draft Revised Regional Plan 2021 of the NCR.

The state would also spur connectivity between the other two major constituents of the NCR namely, Delhi and Haryana, to boost economic activities in the adjoining regions of UP.

A few years back, LIDA was looking for revival with its Board approving its master plan spanning 30,000 hectares across 84 villages in Lucknow and Unnao districts. The plan had trifurcated LIDA-notified land into Township A, B and C under which Township A would be a multifunctional zone near Lucknow; Township B, a tourism zone around the Nawabganj bird sanctuary; and Township C, an industrial zone in Unnao.

The notified land was proposed to have 26 per cent residential, 21 per cent industrial, 20 per cent green, 16 per cent transportation zone and the remaining for commercial and mixed land use.

The LIDA Master Plan had sought synergy with Lucknow Master Plan, providing for a parallel railway cargo corridor with a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) for transportation.

The LIDA Board had even fixed Rs 886/sq mt and Rs 725/sq mt as internal and external development fees, respectively, to be charged by LIDA from developers and builders.

The state had constituted LIDA in July 2005 during erstwhile Mulayam Singh Yadav government. It was aimed at boosting industrial and commercial activities in the region and attracting investment beyond NCR. However, it has largely remained comatose ever since, although its Board had been meeting regularly. In fact, the draft Master Plan was approved by LIDA Board in November 2013.

LIDA made sluggish progress during the Mayawati rule (2007-12), although the state had planned to acquire 2,000 acres along the Lucknow-Unnao highway in first phase. LIDA had also faced land acquisition hurdles. Earlier, LIDA had tied up with Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) for taking loan of Rs 730 million.