FCC

Govt Grants Preliminary Approval for Two New Townships in Uttarakhand

2023-06-09

The preliminary approval has been granted by the Union government for the establishment of two new townships in Uttarakhand. These projects consist of an industrial township in the Parag Farm area of Udham Singh Nagar and an integrated township in Doiwala, situated on the outskirts of Dehradun. A delegation from the Central government is expected to visit both locations in the future to conduct an on-site assessment.

The state government had previously submitted a proposal worth Rs 11 billion to the Central government, seeking support for developing these two townships—one in Kumaon and the other in Garhwal. The aim is to transform Parag Farm into a prominent industrial hub, attracting an estimated investment of Rs 100 billion and generating employment opportunities for the local residents. Additionally, the idea of an integrated aero township has been proposed for Doiwala, taking advantage of its proximity to the airport and convenient location.

Anand Bardhan, the additional chief secretary, stated, "The projects are still in their early stages. Once the Central team visits the locations and completes their assessment, further progress will be made." Moreover, the state government has put forward a proposal for the establishment of six additional townships. These include a film city near Naini Saini airport in Pithoragarh on a 77-hectare plot, a Doon twin city on a 719-hectare land formerly occupied by the Arcadia tea garden in Dehradun, a cyber-city spanning 1,672 hectares in the Sahaspur area of Dehradun, a wellness township covering 50 hectares in Gauchar, a Haldwani twin city on a 2,840-hectare plot near Gaulapar, and a tourism township spanning 4,365 hectares in Ramnagar.

Among the initially identified 20 locations, 10 have been shortlisted for further consideration. The plans and concepts for eight projects have been finalized, while experts are working on the remaining two projects.