Setting itself a stiff target, the Uttar Pradesh government has thrown itself head-long into getting the 165 km-long, 6-lane Taj Expressway project completed before the Commonwealth Games in 2010. The state government, late on Tuesday, called a meeting of district magistrates of all the districts through which the Taj Expressway is expected to cross, in order to sensitise them about the need for ?launching a drive? and facilitate the acquisition of land for the Rs 2,250-crore project.
The project, which is being implemented on build-operate-transfer basis by the concessionaire Jaiprakash Associates Ltd, will connect Greater Noida to Agra and is expected to reduce travel time between Delhi and Agra from the current four hours to around two hours.
Speaking to the FE, senior officials of the industry department said that with the fields now empty of crops, the government has asked its officials to launch a drive for the acquisition of land. ?We expect to acquire the land in the next two to three weeks,? he said.
When asked how the government would deal with stiff opposition of farmers from certain districts, the official said that in order to deal with the farmers in a cordial way, without any strife, the DMs are being sensitized to deal with the situation. ?Also, it is being impressed upon them that the project is of immense importance and thus, a drive has to be launched for acquiring land at the earliest,? added the official.
It may be mentioned that work on the project was so far moving at a snail?s pace due to the resentment of the farmers in parting with their agricultural land. As a result, a special committee had been constituted under Taj Expressway Authority to sort out the land acquisition tussles in each of the district involved. The 165 kilometer long 2,250 hectare land for the Expressway is to be acquired from five districts – Gautambudh Nagar, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras and Agra. At each district the Authority has been facing opposition from the farmers, as with the proposed Taj International Aviation Hub and Airport all set to get a green signal soon, land prices have suddenly spiralled.
The Taj Expressway Authority has been able to acquire only 7.25 kilometres of land so far and handed it over to the construction agency Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL).
The Rs 2250 crore Taj Expressway will be constructed largely along the Yamuna touching Taj International Aviation Hub and airport. Separate roads leading to Mathura and Vrindavan will branch off from the Expressway. There will be service lanes on both sides besides development at different locations for commercial, amusement, industrial, institutional and residential purposes.