Yeida Ceo Arun Vir Singh Lists – twin Priorities

• Allot residential plots to schemes’ beneficiaries

• Earn revenue by inviting industries to the region

  Giving possession to allottees of the two residential schemes floated by Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) in 2009 and 2016 is the top priority of its CEO Arun Vir Singh in the year 2019. The pending allotment process has already begun and Singh is confident of completing it within six months. In an interview with Realty & More Editor Palash Roy, Singh cited generation of revenue by inviting various industries to the area as being his second priority. “As YEIDA is an industrial development authority, my priority is industrial development of the region”, said Singh, who has worked at various positions before being appointed the CEO of YEIDA in August 2016, his second stint in that capacity. A 1987-batch UP Civil Services officer and an IAS since 2005, Singh also has additional charge as CEO of the Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL), an entity floated by the UP Government for implementing Jewar airport project. In this wide-ranging interview, Singh informed R&M that the land acquisition process for Jewar is going on smoothly as farmers are cooperative knowing that the airport will be of direct benefit to them. Being the key facilitator to float tenders related to the airport project and select a concessionaire on behalf of the Government in his capacity as NIAL CEO, Singh also disclosed that bid document for airport operator has been approved by the state Cabinet and it will be floated after receiving a nod from the Civil Aviation Ministry. He is confident that after the bid, it will take about six months for the construction work for the airport to start.

  The following is the text of the interview:

Palash Roy: What is your agenda for the year 2019?

Arun Vir Singh: My priorities are divided in two parts. The first is fulfilling earlier commitment towards our allottees. We were not able to give possession of plots to the allottees of our 2009 scheme. Now we are giving possession to them on priority.   As of January 2, we have allotted and given possession of land to 10,000 allottees. The remaining 11,000 will be given by June 30, 2019. We are planning to give possession of 5,500 plots by the end of March. The second residential plot scheme, which came into existence in 2016, is also ready for possession and it will be offered by June 30 this year. So we are fulfilling our commitments to all our allottees – residential, industrial and commercial. This is our top priority.

PR: Apart from giving possession, what are you working on?

AVS: Our second priority is to generate revenue for the area by inviting various industries. As YEIDA is an industrial development authority, my priority is industrial development of the region. We are ensuring that lots of industrial houses come in this region. We have very recently allotted land to mobile handset manufacture Vivo. We have allotted 170 acres land to Vivo and its eight components companies are also in queue, of which two allotments are already made. In addition, Mitsubishi Oil’s two subsidiaries companies have also taken land from us. Many other companies, including Patanjali, have also taken land in the Yamuna area. We are also in talks with many other mobile and other companies.

PR: Besides mobile and technology-related companies, are there any other sectoral companies which want to come to the Yamuna region?

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AVS: Yes! There is a handloom cluster which is in the offing. We are also in talks for a textile cluster which we are hoping would be finalised by the end of this financial year. There will be 100 plots in 200 acres in which around five lakh jobs will be generated, comprising an investment of around Rs 1 lakh crore. This will be coming in Sector 29. The EPCH (Export Promotion Council for Handicraft) is also wanting to take land in Sector 29 for its handicraft cluster, which is also on the cards, and we hope this would be finalised by the end of February. So the handicraft cluster, the handloom cluster, the textile cluster, also electronic manufacturing cluster would be coming in Sector 24, 24 A where a lot of mobile companies would be coming. We hope with the Jewar airport activity round the corner, and the bid document likely to be floated soon, a lot of other companies would be interested in coming to Yamuna Expressway and economic activity here would be multiplied manifold. The future is here and we hope all stakeholders would be benefited from that economic activity.

PR: You have a lot for residential, commercial and industrial activity in the region. But public transportation is still a matter of concern. What are you doing to address that?

AVS: We are doing a lot for multi-modal connectivity. We have already finalised rapid rail which will connect Jewar airport to IGI airport and Metro rail feasibility is going on whereby we are planning Metro connectivity from Pari Chowk to Jewar. We are going to add a few slippage roads on the External Peripheral Expressway which can directly reach IGI airport. Also, we are deliberating on direct elevated road connectivity from Jewar airport to IGI airport. So lots of new connectivity options would come up not only for IGI but for other areas of Uttar Pradesh. Like, we have a hinterland of 22 districts and we want all these districts to have direct connectivity to Jewar. Whatever additional connectivity is required is being studied buy RITES. By the end of February, we will get its report. After that connectivity to other parts of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh would be finalised. So, at least three to four new connectivity options are bound to come in the next couple of months.

PR: Is the work on Detailed Project Report (DPR) undergoing for Pari Chowk-Jewar airport connectivity?

AVS: Yes, DMRC is doing this. They are doing a feasibility study. Initially they had done the study two years back but at that time Jewar airport wasn’t finalised and so they decided not to pursue the same as there won’t be much traffic. Now, the situation has changed and with the announcement of an international airport, a new feasibility study is being done by DMRC and they will complete it by the end of the month.

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PR: What is the status of land acquisition for Jewar airport?

AVS: The land acquisition for Jewar airport is being done by the district magistrate. The district administration has already done Section 11 on October 30, 2018, and Section 19 would be sent to the Government soon. It is working on war footing and shall be able to complete the land acquisition by the mid of February. The district administration has so far done an excellent job on this front.

PR: Has the land acquisition process been smooth so far?

AVS: Yes! People are very cooperative. The farmers want that the airport should come in this area because they are aware that it is going to change their lives. They will get direct benefit from this activity. Everybody is very cooperative. All stakeholders are on the same page. So, there will be no problem on land acquisition front.

PR: By when the bid is expected to be floated for airport operator?

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AVS: The bid document is already approved by the state Cabinet. It has gone to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for its nod and after that it will be floated.

PR: When do you expect the civil work to start for the airport?

AVS: I think, after the bid it will take six months for the construction work to start.

• As of January 2, we have allotted and given possession of land to 10,000 allottees. The remaining 11,000 will be given by June 30, 2019. We are planning to give possession of 5,500 plots by the end of March.
• As YEIDA is an industrial development authority, my priority is industrial development of the region. We are ensuring that lots of industrial houses come in this region.
• There is a handloom cluster which is in the offing. We are also in talks for a textile cluster which we are hoping would be finalised by the end of this financial year. There will be 100 plots in 200 acres in which around five lakh jobs will be generated.,
• The handicraft cluster, the handloom cluster, the textile cluster, also electronic manufacturing cluster would be coming in Sector 24, 24 A where a lot of mobile companies would be coming.
• We are doing a lot for multi-modal connectivity. We have already finalised rapid rail which will connect Jewar airport to IGI airport and Metro rail feasibility is going on whereby we are planning Metro connectivity from Pari Chowk to Jewar.
• Now, the situation has changed and with the announcement of an international airport, a new feasibility study is being done by DMRC and they will complete it by the end of the month.
• It (district administration) is working on war footing and shall be able to complete the land acquisition by the mid of February. The district administration has so far done an excellent job on this front.
• People are very cooperative. The farmers want that the airport should come in this area because they are aware that it is going to change their lives. They will get direct benefit from this activity. Everybody is very cooperative.

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