UP Government Clears YEIDA Master Plan-2031: Land Allocation Decision for Raya Heritage City

What Was Decided

The Uttar Pradesh government has approved the Master Plan-2031 for the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), marking a transformative phase for the Raya Urban Centre in Mathura. This ambitious plan aims to enhance Mathura's economy and tourism by integrating religious, residential, economic, and industrial spaces, and it aligns with the Heritage City project while promoting urban expansion.

Spanning 9,366.2 hectares, with potential expansion to 11,653.76 hectares, the Raya Urban Centre will feature a strategic mix of land uses along both sides of the Yamuna Expressway. The plan emphasises flexibility in land use, allowing residential complexes, commercial activities, tourism infrastructure, and public amenities to coexist. Separately, in 2017, the Uttar Pradesh government had approved two major urban centers under the Master Plan-2031: Raya Urban Centre in Mathura and Tappal-Bajna Urban Centre in Aligarh — the October 2024 approval revises and expands that original 2017 framework.

The Approval Chain: Board, Bid Committee, Committee of Secretaries

The project had already achieved significant progress, with the detailed project report for the Heritage City approved by the authority board; the report was set to be reviewed by the UP bid evaluation committee and the committee of secretaries. Following this review, YEIDA would initiate the land acquisition process, which is essential for bringing the Master Plan-2031 to fruition.

This sequencing matters: board approval of a DPR is an internal authority decision, while sign-off from the bid evaluation committee and the committee of secretaries is a state-level gate that must clear before a public-private-partnership tender and land acquisition can formally begin.

Operative Details: Land-Use Allocations Under the Revised Plan

The approved plan reworks the hectare-wise land-use split for the Raya Urban Centre. Figures below are those disclosed alongside the 25 October 2024 approval:

The urban centre layout forms a six-kilometre-wide strip along the expressway, concentrating industrial activities primarily on one side. Along the expanded riverfront, plans include green zones, sports facilities, and golf courses, promoting eco-tourism and recreational activities.

Practical Effect: What This Means for Heritage City

The Master Plan-2031 approval is the umbrella land-use decision; the Heritage City project sits inside it as a specific PPP scheme. The government approved plans for Raya Heritage City, spanning 735 acres within the Yamuna Authority's notified area. This is part of the recently approved Raya Urban Center Master Plan-2031, structured as a PPP model project.

Yamuna Authority's then-CEO said the DPR of Raya Heritage City had been approved by the government, obstacles had been removed, and bid documents would be prepared before a developer is selected. CBRE South Asia Private Limited, the consulting firm, began preparing bid documents and would extend invitations to international companies for development participation.

On the ground, the revised DPR reflects changes to the original green-field expressway route to avoid densely populated villages, and the project encompasses villages including Arwa Khadar, Bhim Khadar, Dangrauli Khadar, Pani Gaon Khadar, Piprauli, Jahangirpur Khadar and Begumpur Khadar.

How the Project Evolved After the October 2024 Approval

Reporting through 2025 shows the Heritage City component continuing to move — and its numbers shifting — after the master plan clearance:

• In October 2024, the UP government approved amendments to the Master Plan-2031 that expanded the urban centre's area from 9,366 hectares to 11,653 hectares, with the Heritage City project itself spanning 753 hectares and estimated to cost ₹7,200 crore.
• Under the Heritage City framework, YEIDA will provide the land while a concessionaire handles development costs under a 70-year concession model.
• By late October 2025, the ₹7,200-crore project — spanning around 753 acres within the Raya Urban Centre — was described as including a 30-kilometre-long Yamuna riverfront and a 100-foot-tall statue of Lord Krishna at the centre of a temple complex.
• YEIDA's CEO said changes had been made to the plan, with the Authority developing part of the project directly while other components go through the PPP model.
• A proposed 7-kilometre expressway linking Heritage City to Vrindavan's Banke Bihari Temple was due for board discussion, its alignment straightened after waterlogging and flooding during monsoon on parts of the site.

Earlier project documentation had also cited a smaller scope and budget — 750 acres of land with a budget of Rs 1,220 crore allocated for development, developed in three phases; the first phase planned to open by 2027, phase II (2028-31), and phase III proposed to open by 2034. The figures moved upward as the DPR was revised, so investors should treat the ₹7,200-crore, 753-acre figures as the more current (late-2025) scope rather than the original.

Status as of This Writing

The Master Plan-2031 amendment itself is a completed government approval (25 October 2024). The Heritage City project sitting within it, however, is still at the pre-construction, pre-tender stage. Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority's own project page notes a new land parcel was proposed by MVDA and UPBVP for the Heritage City, with consultant CBRE directed to assess the site-area requirement and prepare an updated DPR to be put before the Board for approval. Only after that step does the consultant submit RFP and concession-agreement documents. No land acquisition completion, RERA registration, or construction start date for Heritage City had been confirmed in the sources reviewed for this record.