The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has approved a proposal to directly purchase land from owners for the development of eight roads under the Raj Nagar Extension (RNE) zonal plan, officials confirmed on Wednesday. This move is aimed at overcoming long-standing land acquisition hurdles that have delayed key infrastructure projects in the area.Of the eight roads, five are planned with a width of 45 metres, one at 30 metres, and two at 24 metres. Seven of these roads had stalled due to unavailability of land, significantly hampering traffic flow and residential connectivity in the rapidly growing RNE area.“These roads are part of the zonal development plan for Raj Nagar Extension. With the GDA board’s approval, we can now proceed with direct land purchases. This will not only improve road connectivity but also streamline traffic for local residents,” said Rudresh Shukla, GDA’s media coordinator.The proposal also enables the GDA to sanction maps for residential high-rises and other development projects in the zone, thereby unlocking revenue opportunities for the authority. Officials noted that this shift in approach will help expedite the development process and address long-standing bottlenecks.Raj Nagar Extension remains the only zone in GDA’s jurisdiction with a fully prepared zonal plan. Under the recently adopted Master Plan 2031, the GDA has divided its jurisdiction—which includes Ghaziabad city, Loni, and Modinagar/Muradnagar—into 15 zones. Plans are underway to prepare zonal plans for the remaining areas. In the 2021 plan, only eight zones had been outlined.A former GDA town planner explained that the RNE zonal plan, drafted nearly a decade ago, had encountered legal and financial hurdles—particularly related to development charges and lack of a land bank. Direct land acquisition was seen as too costly, which stalled progress for years.Residents have long complained about worsening traffic conditions in RNE. “Traffic during peak hours is chaotic, and the absence of planned roads has seriously affected connectivity. Many early settlers are now considering relocating to better-connected areas like NH-9 or Greater Noida,” said Vikrant Sharma, a local resident.With this new policy in place, the GDA aims to address infrastructure backlogs and enhance livability in Raj Nagar Extension, positioning it as a more accessible and well-connected urban zone within Ghaziabad.