The Noida Authority has asked the Haryana government to share the cost of the two bridges that will connect Noida and Faridabad. The NCR Planning Board, too, has sought that the Haryana government clear its stand in order for the work to begin soon.
Last year, a meeting was held at the NCR Planning Board Office to discuss the project. Attended by Noida Authority chairman Rama Raman, additional secretary to the Haryana government P Raghavendra Rao, commissioner of NCR Planning and Monitoring Cell (UP) Kush Verma, and district town planner of Faridabad, the meeting saw the bridges to be developed on the Yamuna river being approved. Though no decision over expenditure sharing was taken, it was reportedly agreed that the project cost would be shared based on the proportion of land that comes under the Authority and the Haryana government.
The Noida Authority, which claims to be ready to start the project, has decided to increase buying rates of the land that comes under the Yamuna riverbed. According to Mr. Raman, the Noida Authority has sufficient funds for the project but the Haryana government is yet to clear its share. “The Noida Authority has taken up the issue of cost sharing. The NCR Planning Board has also asked the State government to reply on the issue. Once this is settled, we will decide on the further course of action,” he said.
Mr. Raman also said, “The Noida Authority is ready to begin the project. We have sufficient funds and are going to increase the cost of buying land in the riverbed. So far, the Noida Authority is offering Rs. 2,800 per sq. meter. We have planned to increasing the buying rate to Rs. 3,500 per sq meter,” he added.
The Authority is also working on finalising an MoU for the two bridges, after which tenders will be issued. Mr. Raman, meanwhile, said the MoU was being finalised. “We have deputed a team to finalise the MoU while the Haryana government is also preparing an MoU. Once both sides finalise this, a date of signing will be declared,” Mr. Raman said adding that the UP government was committed to begin work soon and offer a smooth commute for people in Noida and Faridabad. He said that once the bridges are ready, the travel time between Noida and Faridabad will come down to just 15 minutes.
The bridges, which will come up on the Yamuna, will be developed between Sectors 149A-150 and 168-187A in Noida and near Tilori village in Faridabad. The length of both the bridges would be 600 meters with eight lanes each.
(The writer is a freelance journalist)
Once ready, the two bridges will reduce travel time between Noida and Faridabad to just 15 minutes
