Ghaziabad development charges shoot north for Metro

“As the GDA board has given approval for an increase in the development charges,the new rates are effective now. The new charges will be imposed on all new construction projects,” said an official.

“A large number of private agencies are developing high-tech and integrated townships in Ghaziabad. They could be a major source of revenue if development charges are imposed on them while approving layout plans of their township projects,” said Chaudhary.

According to officials,a proposal seeking permission to impose development charge on high-tech and integrated township projects has also been sent to the state government. “As private developers develop the external civic services in their high-tech and integrated townships,there is no provision to impose development charges on them. But as residents of these townships will also use the services of the Metro,a charge should be imposed on them,” said an official.

In the first phase of the project,the Metro will travel from Anand Vihar in Delhi to Vaishali in Ghaziabad. This phase is likely to be completed in March 2011 after a delay of six months from the deadline.

In the second phase,a Metro link has been planned to connect Dilshad Garden in East Delhi with New Bus Stand in Ghaziabad. The Details Project Report (DPR) of the second phase is under revision.

The third phase will involve the extension of the Metro from Vaishali and the DPR for this phase is under preparation. Officials believe that the three-phase expansion of the Metro will connect most of the areas in Ghaziabad with Delhi and Noida.