Noida to get a makeover soon

The Uttar Pradesh government is set to unveil a host of initiatives in the New Okhla Industrial Development Area (Noida), as part of a bid to attract investment by showcasing it as a hub for industry, officials said Friday.

The government has, in an interaction with industrialists Thursday, promised a public bus service to ease the pressure on city roads and ensure better connectivity.

On being told that labour unrest and soaring crime was a deterrent in investment, the state government announced the setting up of five new police stations, one cyber police station, a modern and hitech control room and the installation of CCTVs and GPS in mobile police vans.

Principal Secretary (Industrial and Investment Development) Surya Pratap Singh told IANS that the Akhilesh Yadav government in the state was "very serious" in promoting the potential that Noida offered as an industrial hub.

"I have heard out industry captains. The need of improvement in sectors like power, public transport and connectivity need to be attended to. The state government is working in this direction," he said.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Noida Rama Raman said that a 3.926 metro line is proposed between Kalindi Kunj in Delhi to the Botanical Garden in Noida, at an estimated cost of Rs.629 crore, with funding on an 80:20 ratio between Noida Authority and the union government.

Two other metro lines -- a 6.825 km line between Sector 32 and Sector 62 in Noida, and a 29.707 km one to connect Greater Noida to Noida, are also in the pipeline, officials told IANS.

Officials of Samsung, Sony, Adobe Systems, Panasonic and Uflex, among others, also interacted with state government representatives and pointed out problems faced while functioning from Noida.