The much-awaited film city project near the Noida International Airport is likely to face a delay even before the construction starts. Finding a developer for one of the Yogi government’s flagship projects took a considerable amount of time, as global contracts failed to attract any bidders. Ultimately, a group of companies led by producer Boney Kapoor, in collaboration with the Bhutani Group, secured the deal. Last week, Kapoor submitted his initial layout, which has since faced several objections from the government.
As quoted by the Times of India, Arun Vir Singh, Chief Executive Officer, stated that, “Right now, the layout is not in accordance with the sanctioned land use. Green areas have not been shown properly and are fragmented.”
Singh also stated that, “Only Phase 1, covering the industrial area, will be considered for approval right now. The remaining Phases 2 and 3 must also be shown clearly in the updated map.”
The biggest concern is that green space originally earmarked for parks, playgrounds, and shared spaces is being used for other purposes. It has been proposed by the developers to put up film studios with facilities for living on this land.
The officials said the green belt category was not clearly defined in the plan. Natural areas appear on the map as strips near roads rather than as consolidated zones, they noted.
The draft also incorporates various commercial structures, such as hotels and warehouses, in the industrial zone, which goes against the approved land use regulations. Additionally, the consortium has not provided the required no-objection certificate (NOC) from the fire department, nor a structural stability certificate. In Phase 1, the approved project plan designates 155 acres as industrial sites, including a film institute occupying 21 acres and studios and production areas covering 134 acres. The other 75 acres will be used for commercial development, though that will happen further down the line. Officials from YEIDA, who met Boney Kapoor and Ashish Bhutani on Monday, said the company must now modify and present its development plan phase by phase.
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