The Centre’s nod to set up a greenfield airport at Jewar in Greater Noida has brought cheer to real estate, hospitality and industrial players in the region. Experts said that the international airport, which is expected to come up in five to six years, will give an economic boost to western UP.
“This move will attract investments worth crores and will generate lakhs of jobs,” said Tapan Sengal, group director of Lotus Greens.
“The real estate sector had been reeling under a slump for a long time. This announcement will boost the sector and the local economy,” Supertech group’s chairman and managing director (CMD) R. K. Arorasaid.
The Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India (CREDAI) also welcomed the move to green light the long-pending project.
After the BJP came into power at the Centre, BJP MP from Gautam Budh Nagar Mahesh Sharma had taken up the issue of Jewar airport, which had been in the pipelines for many years. “I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for turning this dream into a reality. This will generate avenues of development, growth and jobs,” Mr. Sharma said.
Gurneet Sikka, director of Sikka group, said that this move will support PM Modi’s dream to provide housing for all. “We believe that the project will help in creating more cities and housing at low cost. With the announcement, we will start exploring possibilities in neighbouring districts and cities,” said Mr. Sikka.
While the project has been lauded by businesses and industries, Opposition parties in Uttar Pradeshslammed the BJP government in the State and the Centre for taking credit for a project that had been proposed earlier.
- First phase
- One runway
- One terminal
- 20-25 million capacity
- Investment of ₹10,000 cr
- Land area
- 1,000 hectares
Former Minister and senior Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Rambeer Upadhyay said: “The project was aggressively taken up during the BSP regime in UP. Our government had sought many NoCs for the project. But the issue was later politicised, which stalled development in the region,” Mr Upadhyay said.
Rajya Sabha MP and Samajwadi Party general secretary Surender Singh Nagar slammed the BJP stating that the “Akhilesh government had sent a proposal for the airport to the Centre for approval”.
“The BJP-led Centre did not take up the project and once in reply to my question in the Rajya Sabha last year, the concerned Minister informed that the Centre had no plans to develop an airport in Jewar. But as soon as the BJP came into power in the State, the project is taken up,” said Mr. Nagar.
Meanwhile, A. N. Upadhyay, additional CEO of the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority — nodal agency for the new airport — said that the land for the project has been earmarked and the process will soon be started to buy the land from farmers.
When asked about farmers unrest, Mr. Upadhyay appealed to the farmers to help in developing the project and “be a part of creating history”.
“We will not bear any pressure from the authorities. Only if a handsome deal is offered will we allow construction,” said Bharti Kisan Union leader Ajaypal Sharma.
