Land acquisition in 52 Ayodhya villages for expressway

The Green Expressway project linking Ayodhya and Sultanpur is set to begin soon. The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has notified the acquisition of land in 52 villages. This land is for a 68-kilometer ring road designed to reduce traffic problems in the area. The project will cover 39 villages in Bikapur tehsil, five in Sadar tehsil, and eight in Sohawal. The additional district magistrate has instructed local officials to keep land use unchanged, meaning no selling or buying of land is allowed in these villages. The government approved the ring road project in August 2024. It will be built in a hybrid annuity mode at a cost of ₹3,935 crore. The new road aims to ease congestion on major highways in the city and help pilgrims traveling to Ayodhya. It will also improve access for tourists coming from Lucknow International Airport and other transport hubs. In a related development, the state government has approved a New Ayodhya Township project. This ambitious plan, covering 1,407 acres along the Lucknow-Gorakhpur highway, aims to relieve congestion in existing Ayodhya. The project was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit in December 2023. A second phase will expand the township by an additional 442 acres.