Mandis to line proposed expressway

About 50 acres of land each in Agra and Kannauj have been identified.

In order to speed up the process of land identification for these mandis, the District Magistrates (DMs) of the five districts along the expressway were called to Lucknow on Monday for a meeting.

State-of-the art mandis or agricultural produce markets are being planned along the ambitious Lucknow-Agra Expressway. Five such mandis would come up in each of the five districts — Agra, Kannauj, Mainpuri, Firozabad and Unnao —- along the 300 km long stretch of the Expressway.

In order to speed up the process of land identification for these mandis, the District Magistrates (DMs) of the five districts along the expressway were called to Lucknow on Monday for a meeting.

Sources said the DMs were asked to identify about 100 acres of land in their respective districts along the route of the proposed expressway that can be acquired with “little hassle”.

While there are six districts that fall along the expressway route, Lucknow has been left out for the time being due to lack of availability of land.

“The aim is to boost agricultural-based economy in the region. These mandis would act as the point of interface, where farmers would be able to get better price for their produce. Since these would be placed next to the expressway, fast and easy transportation of items, especially perishable ones, would automatically be facilitated,” said an officer in the State Agricultural Produce Board, which is the nodal agency and would be given the task for construction of these markets.

He said a meeting in this regard was held under the chairmanship of Agriculture Production Commissioner V N Garg Monday.

About 50 acres of land each in Agra and Kannauj have been identified.

The project is expected to cost over Rs 3,000 crore.

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Failing to get companies to invest for the entire stretch, the UP government has decided to build the project in five different stretches from Agra to Lucknow under Engineering, Procurement and Construction model.

The state government has floated a Request for Proposal document for the expressway.

“The process of land acquisition for the expressway has moved much ahead and it is expected that signing of land registries in the name of Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority would start this week, “ said a senior officer.

Maulshree Seth

Maulshree Seth is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, based in Lucknow. With over 15 years of experience in mainstream journalism, she has built a formidable reputation for her on-ground reporting across Uttar Pradesh. Her expertise spans a wide array of critical beats, including state politics, governance, the judiciary, and rural development. Authoritativeness Maulshree’s work is characterized by depth and historical context. Her coverage of high-stakes state elections and landmark judicial rulings has established her as an authoritative voice on the intersection of law and politics in Northern India. She is frequently recognized for her ability to gain access to primary sources and for her nuanced understanding of the socio-economic factors that drive the world's most populous sub-national entity. Trustworthiness & Ethical Journalism Her reporting is rooted in rigorous fact-checking and a steadfast dedication to neutral, unbiased storytelling. By prioritizing field-based verification—often traveling to the most remote corners of the state—she ensures that her readers receive a truthful and comprehensive view of events. ... Read More

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