UP Government Approves YEIDA Master Plan 2031 Phase-2, Formalizing Tappal-Bajna Industrial Hub

What was decided

The Uttar Pradesh government approved the Master Plan 2031 Phase-2 for urban development in Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, and Agra along the 165-km Yamuna Expressway, as announced by the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) on 24 March 2025. The approval covers the districts beyond YEIDA's original Phase-1 footprint. The authority's notified area spans 3,352 square kilometres across six districts, including Gautam Budh Nagar, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras and Agra. Phase-2 itself covers 2,593 square kilometres in Mathura, Agra, Aligarh, and Hathras, with an additional 759 square kilometres already covered under Phase-1 in Gautam Budh Nagar and Bulandshahr. The entire notified footprint spans 1,149 villages across the six districts.

This was not a brand-new proposal for Tappal-Bajna specifically. The last major urban centres under Master Plan 2031 — Raya Urban Centre (Mathura) and Tappal-Bajna Urban Centre (Aligarh) — were originally approved in 2017. The Phase-2 Master Plan itself was initially proposed in 2012-13 but remained stalled for over a decade due to objections. The March 2025 order effectively unlocked implementation of plans that had been on paper for years.

Tappal-Bajna's role under the approval

Located near the Noida International Airport in Jewar, the Tappal-Bajna Urban Centre in Aligarh is set to become a critical industrial hub for the region, with YEIDA planning a 364-acre state-of-the-art Logistics Park to meet the increasing cargo demands of the National Capital Region (NCR). Detailed project reports (DPRs) have been prepared for the Raya and Tappal-Bajna Urban Centres, with developers being finalised, distinguishing these two from Agra and Hathras where consultants were still being appointed.

The logistics park itself sits inside the wider township. The park is set to be developed on 364 acres within the Tappal-Bajna Urban Centre — a 27,438-acre industrial and residential township near the Noida International Airport. The park is estimated to cost around INR 1,040 crore and will be developed in three phases, with the first phase covering 205 acres, including 154 acres dedicated to logistics operations. Officials said they had directed consultants Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India to prepare tender documents and a concession agreement after the UP government approved the feasibility-detailed project report.

Land acquisition status

Separately from the master-plan approval itself, YEIDA has been pursuing land assembly in Tappal village. YEIDA plans to acquire 1,900 hectares of land in Tappal village for the logistics park and other projects; in 2023 it issued a notification to acquire 736 hectares and is currently conducting a social impact assessment (SIA). A related industry brief put the figure higher: YEIDA plans to acquire 2,000 hectares of land in Aligarh's Tappal village for logistics parks and other projects outlined in its master plan. A letter was also sent to the Aligarh administration requesting initiation of a social impact assessment for over 1,600 hectares of land earmarked for the logistics park and industrial development in the Tappal-Bajna Urban Centre.

Encroachment has complicated this process. The 364-acre park faces challenges as residential plot registrations surge, making future evictions difficult, with unauthorized sales persisting at prices ranging from INR 15,000 to INR 25,000 per square meter. In December, YEIDA's CEO, Arun Vir Singh, raised concerns about the rapid emergence of unauthorized colonies across 90 villages in the area. YEIDA's Officer on Special Duty, Shailendra Singh, stated that the Aligarh administration had been recently requested to impose a ban on residential plot registrations in the notified region.

Practical effect of the approval

The approval paves the way for the development of new urban centres, aligning with the future growth prospects of the region, particularly around the Noida International Airport, which was expected to be operational by April 2025. Officials stated that YEIDA will focus on expanding industrial, residential, and commercial infrastructure in these districts, enhancing urbanisation in a structured manner.

Two concrete administrative consequences follow directly from the order: authorities confirmed that once the master plan is presented in YEIDA's upcoming board meeting, the process of land acquisition would begin, and the approval of the plan also enables the authority to curb illegal construction within the notified area, ensuring controlled urban expansion.

Wider Phase-2 context

Tappal-Bajna is one of four urban centres named under the Phase-2 approval. The entire project covers approximately 3,352 sq km, spanning 1,149 villages across six districts, and establishes four major urban centres: Raya Urban Center (Mathura), Tappal-Bajna Urban Center (Aligarh), Agra Urban Center, and Hathras Urban Center. The most advanced of the others is Raya: in October 2024 the UP government approved amendments expanding that urban centre's area from 9,366 hectares to 11,653 hectares, with a proposed Heritage City project spanning 753 hectares estimated to cost ₹7,200 crore. By contrast, YEIDA was still in the process of appointing a consultant to prepare a Detailed Project Report for the proposed urban centre in Hathras, with the specific development area still being finalized as of the approval.