The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) will develop two new cities — one in Vrindavan spread over 4,000 hectares and the second in Agra 2,500 hectares.
Chairing a review meeting in Lucknow on Saturday, Industries Minister Satish Mahana said that the YEIDA had given green signal to the proposal and it would also develop a heritage corridor from Jewar (Noida) to Agra to promote cultural tourism along the 165-km Yamuna Expressway.
“We proposed a project to develop two new cities along the Yamuna Expressway and it was approved. Now, we will start working on the project and develop a heritage corridor. Work for compiling a detailed project report for the two cities will start soon,” Mahana said .
“Our government has decided to give a boost to cultural tourism. Our historic cities, including Mathura, Vrindavan and Agra, are famous at the international level. Our government will provide all support so that tourists who come to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra are also able to go to Mathura and Vrindavan,” the minister said.
“We will also build theme parks, museums and other facilities so that tourists enjoy their journey from Jewar airport to Agra once the airport becomes operational,” he added.
The government plans to run air-conditioned buses from the Jewar airport to Mathura, Agra and Vrindavan once it becomes operational by 2023-24.
A YEIDA official said the authority would send the proposal to the government for further approval after which land acquisition for the project would be initiated.
He said these projects would cater to the housing needs in Vrindavan and Agra.
On April 24, 2011, the UP government had set up the YEIDA for the development of areas between Greater Noida and Agra along Yamuna Expressway with focus on setting up industries to generate employment.
Around two lakh hectares of land from 1,187 villages of six districts — Noida, Bulandshahar, Aligarh, Hathras, Mathura and Agra — was notified under the YEIDA and it was able to acquire 25,000 hectares along the expressway for subsequent development.
The UP government wants all old cities like Dankaur, Mathura, Vrindavan and Agra to be promoted under cultural tourism in the proposed heritage corridor.
