Aqua Line Metro to extend from Noida Sector 51 station to Knowledge Park-V in Greater Noida

Lucknow : In a Council of Ministers meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday, a pivotal decision was made to extend the Aqua Line Metro service between Noida and Greater Noida. The extension, set to enhance connectivity and streamline traffic, will span from Sector 51 Metro Station to Knowledge Park-V in Greater Noida. The proposal has received approval for implementation.

Additionally, the Yogi Cabinet approved allocation of seed capital for the expansion of nine urban development authorities across the state. The cabinet also greenlighted funding for transmission lines and substations for the 800 MW solar project in Chitrakoot.

Another significant decision was the approval to add 80 villages to the Kanpur Development Authority’s jurisdiction, aimed at accelerating the development of Kanpur city.

Finance Minister Suresh Khanna, addressing the media at Lok Bhavan, announced the cabinet’s approval for a 17.435 km extension of the Aqua Line Metro project. The project will involve an investment of ₹394 crore each from the Government of India and the state government. Within the state’s contribution, 40% of the funding will come from the Noida Authority, while 60% will be provided by the Greater Noida Authority.

Khanna announced that the Council of Ministers has approved the addition of 80 villages to the jurisdiction of the Kanpur Development Authority. This move is aimed at fostering the development of Kanpur city.

Additionally, a proposal for Rs 3,000 crore has been made to expand urban areas across the state, with 50% of the funds allocated to nine development authorities and the Housing Development Council for land acquisition.

A significant proposal was approved to provide Rs 4,164.16 crore as seed capital to the development authorities of Saharanpur, Mathura-Vrindavan, Firozabad, Shikohabad, Lucknow, Moradabad, Khurja, Banda, and Meerut for 14 developmental schemes. For this financial year, Rs 1,285 crore has been approved under this initiative.

The Finance Minister also highlighted that the government offers loans to departments such as infrastructure, cooperation, and rural development from various financial institutions.

In line with the Central Finance Commission guidelines and CAG, a Guarantee Redemption Fund will be formed in Uttar Pradesh. This fund will cover any defaults by departments, ensuring timely payments. Nineteen other states in India have similar funds.

The Uttar Pradesh government has secured a guarantee of Rs 1,63,399.82 crore for the fund and plans to allocate Rs 8,170 crore initially, with an annual provision of Rs 1,634 crore in the state’s budget. The Finance Minister emphasized that no department in Uttar Pradesh is currently in default.

Furthermore, following amendments to the Central Act, the Council of Ministers has decided to revise GST regulations in Uttar Pradesh. Extra Neutral Alcohol will be removed from the GST list and placed under VAT. This will result in 100% revenue benefit for the state, compared to the 50% it previously received from it. Importantly, this change will not affect liquor prices in the state.

Urban Development and Energy Minister AK Sharma said that Bundelkhand has emerged as a huge potential for solar energy. Currently, solar energy projects of 4000 MW are at different stages of implementation. At present, an 800 MW project is under construction in Chitrakoot. The energy generated from this will be evacuated through the Government of India’s Green Energy Corridor.

For this, two lines of 400/220 kV and 500 MVA will be built at the cost of Rs 619.90 crore. The cabinet has approved the proposal. Substations and transmission lines will be built with this. The Government of India is assisting in this.

The Government of India will give 33 percent i.e. Rs 204.57 crore as a capital grant. At the same time, the state government will invest 20 percent i.e. Rs 23.98 crore as capital equity. Also, 47 percent i.e. Rs 291.35 crore will be taken as a loan from German institution KFW.

He informed that under the Green Energy Corridor, the Indian government has approved projects worth more than Rs 4000 crore, under which this work is also being done.