Because the authorities allowed colonies to grow without adequate planning and infrastructure, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said development work in Uttar Pradesh suffered under previous regimes.
He was speaking at Dona village near the Agra-Lucknow Expressway during the bhoomi pujan for the Lucknow Development Authority’s (LDA) Varun Vihar and Naimish Nagar residential schemes. The two schemes, spread over 10,680 acres, are being developed at an estimated cost of ₹ 12,000 crore.
The state’s expanding cities now need planned development to avoid repeating those problems, he said.
“If the landowner sold land to some goon, problems were even more for other landowners. The outcome of unplanned development was adverse,” he added. A regional development plan was also being prepared for Lucknow and neighbouring districts, including Unnao, Hardoi, Barabanki, Sitapur and Raebareli under the State Capital Region (SCR), he added. The chief minister advised farmers to use compensation for productive investments, including land and industry, instead of spending the money immediately on vehicles or other assets. The event was attended by mayor Sushma Kharkwal, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Seth, MLAs Rajeshwar Singh, Yogesh Shukla, Neeraj Bora, Jai Devi, OP Srivastava and Amaresh Kumar, among others.
The government also launched registration for 4,520 plots during the event. The chief minister also laid the foundation stone for five proposed multi-storey housing projects worth ₹ 2,166 crore — Lake View, Park View, Aishbagh Square, Aditi Apartment under Anant Nagar Yojana and Bageshwari Apartment in Sharda Nagar Extension. He cited Munishwar Singh, who received ₹ 3.13 crore; Ramdei, ₹ 2.05 crore; Kamlesh Kumar, ₹ 2.80 crore; Sushma Singh, ₹ 2.90 crore; and Om Prakash Awasthi, ₹ 1.96 crore. Yogi said Awasthi purchased 16 bighas of land and deposited the remaining compensation in a fixed deposit.
There were no arrangements for roads, electricity, water and other facilities, and people had to live in miserable conditions due to waterlogging,” Adityanath said.
The chief minister also said the state’s approach to housing included plots, affordable housing, group housing and houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana for different income groups. He said planned housing and infrastructure were necessary to ensure that the state’s urban expansion did not recreate the problems caused by unplanned colonies in the past. The chief minister said earlier landowners could face disputes and insecurity when land changed hands. The chief minister also said Varun Vihar would provide connectivity towards the Purvanchal Expressway, while the Naimish Nagar scheme would help expand development towards the Lucknow-Sitapur side. “The regional development plan will systematically improve public mobility, world-class infrastructure, education, tourism and connectivity,” he said. The CM said compensation had been transferred directly into the accounts of farmers whose land was acquired.
“Earlier, people used to purchase land at different places. VARUN VIHAR, NAIMISH NAGAR TO MEET NEEDS OF LUCKNOW’S GROWING POPULATION: CM Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said Varun Vihar and Naimish Nagar had been planned keeping in mind Lucknow’s growing population, future expansion and demand for safe housing.
Varun Vihar will cover more than 6,500 acres and is expected to provide residential facilities to over six lakh people, while Naimish Nagar will cover around 4,100 acres and cater to around four lakh people, according to the chief minister. Planned urban development had become essential as Lucknow emerged as a hub for education, healthcare, technology, manufacturing and infrastructure. He highlighted the development of Kisan Path, Green Corridor and AI City, besides improved connectivity towards Agra and eastern Uttar Pradesh. He also referred to the expansion of metro and airport infrastructure and the development of manufacturing facilities in the city.
He said the two schemes would benefit students, young people seeking employment and healthcare opportunities and families planning to make Lucknow their permanent home. Yogi said Naimish Nagar had been planned on the Lucknow-Sitapur border area while keeping in view the cultural and spiritual importance of Naimisharanya. He said the scheme would help preserve heritage while creating new residential opportunities as Lucknow expands.
