Noida: Sector 151A golf course budget may be augmented, Noida board to decide

The Noida authority is likely to revise the budget of the gold course being planned in Sector 151A as the cost of construction material has gone up and the work of this project has been delayed, missing several deadlines, said Noida authority officials in the know of the matter on Tuesday.

The authority is likely to discuss and decide on a new budget in its upcoming board meeting on July 12, said officials.

“There are several proposals regarding the budget of projects, including the golf course in Sector 151A. The board will deliberate on all matters and take appropriate decisions. We were to hold the board meeting earlier but due to the busy schedule of the chairman, we have scheduled it to July 12,” said Lokesh M, chief executive officer of the Noida authority.

In June 2021, the authority roped in a private company to develop the city’s second golf course -- the first 18-hole one in Sector 38A was developed by the authority in the 1990s.

According to officials, the authority approved a tentative budget of ₹90 crore for the project in February 2020. The project includes a 90-acre golf course, a 20-acre adventure sports facility, and a 10-acre heliport, said officials.

The Golf course was scheduled to be completed by June 2021. However, currently, only 63% of the work has been completed. One of the key reasons for the delay was that the authority failed to acquire the required land from farmers on time.

The project is currently struggling with cost escalations of nearly ₹27 crore, surpassing the initial contract value of ₹90 crore.

The authority wants to incorporate many additional features as well to ensure that the project adheres to international standards and these changes too will lead to an escalation in project cost, said officials.

“To resolve the land acquisition issue, the authority is talking to farmers to acquire 2.5 hectares from Kambakshpur village. Once the land acquisition process is over, an additional six months will be needed to conclude the civil works. The revised deadline will be fixed in the board meeting. And the authority aims to complete the golf course project by mid 2025. All issues related to budget escalation and land issues will be resolved in the board meeting,” said another Noida authority official, asking not to be named.