Ghaziabad: Special zones on RRTS find place in draft Master Plan 2031

The Ghaziabad development authority (GDA) has incorporated the proposed two special development areas (SDAs) and seven influence zones, which will come up along the 17km priority section of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project, into the draft Master Plan 2031, officials said on Friday.

In August last year, the GDA approved the two SDAs and seven influence zones along the route of RRTS rail project that will link Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut. The influence zones will fall under a 1.5-km radius centred at each of the seven proposed RRTS stations in Ghaziabad — Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai, Muradnagar, Modinagar (South) and Modinagar (North). The SDAs will be adjacent land at Guldhar (250 hectares) and Duhai (400 hectares) close to the Delhi-Meerut Road and will take shape in form of townships.

Both the SDAs and influence zones have been demarcated for planned development, the officials said. Under the two types of zones, the authority will permit mixed land use constructions with residential and commercial establishments.

“The SDAs and influence zones have been incorporated into the draft Master Plan 2031, and any development in these areas/zones will be done only through the authority. Anyone taking up constructions in these special areas/zones will have to pay up special cess which will be 25% over and above the regular development charges,” said Ashish Shivpuri, authority’s chief architect and town planner.

The authority presently charges ₹1,200 per square metre as development fee in Modinagar and Muradnagar areas while it is ₹3,400 per square metre in the Ghaziabad city area. The two SDAs comes in the Muradnagar area while the seven influence zones fall under Ghaziabad city, Muradnagar and Modinagar areas.

The draft Master Plan 2031 involves plans for Ghaziabad, Loni, Modinagar and Muradnagar.

“As the approval of Master Plan 2031 is due from the GDA board and further from the state government, we are not issuing any map clearances for the SDAs and influence zones. Once the election code of conduct is lifted, the approvals will be made and the government will also issue a notification for the special cess/charges,” Shivpuri said.

The Master Plan 2021 is in place till the end of the current financial year and may remain in prevalence till the draft plan is approved by the government after March 10, when the model code of conduct comes to an end.