Based on the idea of depicting the history and culture of seven cities, veteran actor and film director Sanjay Khan has been given the green signal by the Uttar Pradesh government to set up a theme park in Agra. Spread over an area of nearly 1,000 acres, the theme park will require an investment of over Rs 1,000 crore. The state government has already initiated steps towards setting up of the theme park by issuing notices for acquisition of land from the farmers for the project. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be formed soon to transfer the equity to Khan. The total cost of the land for the project will be nearly Rs 590 crore. Khan, who held several meetings with state government officials earlier, had recently met Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for his dream project. Khan also showed a 15-minute promotional film about the project to the CM, following which he has been allowed to set up the theme park. The unique park will have seven sections depicting different periods of history — from ancient to modern era. Each era will have its own arrangement of cities, market and buildings constructed on the same lines as they existed in that particular period. “If it is depicting Patliputra of ancient times, everything will be constructed in the same pattern. Visitors can roam through the city and get a feel about the history," Manoj Kumar Singh, Managing Director, Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC) told The Indian Express. These seven cities will be connected through a monorail to ferry tourists from one city to another. The theme park will also offer at least four starred hotels, an area for theme-based wedding functions and shooting areas for film makers. The State government is hopeful that the theme park, due to its location at a famous tourist location, will attract a regular inflow of customers, boosting tourism. Better connectivity from Delhi through Yamuna Expressway and to Lucknow through Lucknow-Agra Green Expressway has also been considered while sanctioning the project.
