UP acquires 24,000 acres in Bundelkhand for industrial development

The Uttar Pradesh government has acquired over 24,000 acres in Bundelkhand’s arid zone to accelerate industrial development in the region. The land has been acquired by the Bundelkhand Industrial Development Authority (BIDA), which has been tasked with developing the area as a mega investment hub on the lines of Noida and Greater Noida.

 

The acquisition of 24,201 acres of land amounts to more than 68 per cent of the total 35,298 acres targeted in the first phase by BIDA. In total, BIDA plans to acquire 56,662 acres across 33 villages in two phases, with the remaining 21,364 acres slated for acquisition in the second phase. 

A vast chunk of land in BIDA has also been acquired in the Jhansi district, the most prominent hub of Bundelkhand. 

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said BIDA would foster the development of the entire Bundelkhand region and pave the way for big-ticket investments. “With land acquisition gathering pace, land parcels are being made available for industrial projects,” a senior UP government official said. 

Bundelkhand’s industrial push is also set to get a major boost with around 300 acres earmarked for the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) as part of the Delhi-Nagpur Industrial Corridor. This will directly connect Bundelkhand with one of India’s key industrial corridors.

 

In addition, a 250-acre battle tank MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility and a combat vehicle manufacturing plant have been proposed within BIDA, strengthening the prospects of the ambitious Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC).

 

These projects are expected to generate tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs in Bundelkhand, a region long associated with outward migration of youth due to lack of economic development.

 

The Yogi government is also planning an airport and an expressway to connect BIDA land parcels to the Bundelkhand Expressway.

 

Under the BIDA Master Plan 2045, around 253 sq km has been earmarked for specific land uses, including industrial (35.8%), residential (15.2%), mixed-use (5.1%), commercial (1.5%) and green space (10.6%), among others.

 

The BIDA project is part of the Yogi government’s push towards its $1 trillion economy vision, with similar projects underway in other regions to advance the broader agenda.