By IANS,
Raipur : Chhattisgarh Thursday announced incentive of 5-20 percent to farmers to speed up land acquisition process for a 8,000-hectare mega city near here that will be the new state capital.
“Naya Raipur Development Authority (NRDA), which is directly purchasing land at competitive rates from farmers, has announced 5-20 percent incentives to plot holders in a bid to complete total land takeover by the year-end,” an NRDA official told IANS.
Naya Raipur, located 20 km southeast of here, is to be completed within next two-three years. The eco-friendly city will be connected to Raipur by an expressway.
“We are already in possession of 5,977 hectares of land – 3,200 hectares purchased from the farmers and 2,777 hectares of government land. But we have decided to provide five percent incentive on the compensation amount to farmers whose land was acquired in 2007-08, 10 percent to those who handed over land in 2008-09 and 20 percent incentive till Dec 31 of current fiscal year,” the official said.
Chief Minister Raman Singh told IANS: “Naya Raipur will be the flag bearer of a resurgent Chhattisgarh. It will reflect the rich heritage and natural beauty of the state.”
“It will be known as India’s best planned and modern city and also be the country’s first green-field city to have a Bus Rapid Transit System.”
State Chief Secretary P. Joy Oommen, who is also chairman of NRDA, said: “The development plan of Naya Raipur attempts to create a modern and liveable city. It would be a source of inspiration for city planners, builders and policy makers everywhere in the world.”
He said that Naya Raipur will have a capital complex to house the state administration, a software technology park on 10.77 hectares, a knowledge park, a Rs.300-crore logistics hub on 36 hectares and a sports complex including a 60,000-seating capacity cricket stadium which has already been prepared and inaugurated.
The city will also have an amusement park, a golf course, five-star hotel and specialty hospitals, he added.