Mohali, Feb. 23 -- In a major push to expand its ambitious Aerotropolis township, the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) has approved the acquisition of approximately 2,489.581 acres of land in Banur. The decision was taken at a recent GMADA board meeting as part of the larger Aerotropolis extension plan. The move comes in addition to the ongoing acquisition of 3,553 acres in Blocks E to J of the Aerotropolis project, which is an extension of Aerocity in Mohali. Located near the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport on both sides of the Zirakpur-Banur road, the Aerotropolis township is planned to include around 8,600 residential plots ranging from 100 to 2,000 square yards, along with commercial and institutional zones. Comprising both residential and commercial spaces, it is GMADA's seventh independent township, the other six being Aerocity, Knowledge City, IT City, all in the vicinity of the airport, and EcoCity, EduCity and MediCity in New Chandigarh, Mullanpur. The newly approved acquisition will cover land in Sekhan Majra, Kurara, Tangori, Manakpur Kallar, Azizpur, Karala and Isa Khan villages, all falling within Banur's residential zone. Officials clarified that land where promoters have already availed salability benefits under instructions issued by the Punjab housing and urban development department, as well as areas falling under the jurisdiction of the municipal council, Banur, will be excluded after due verification. A GMADA official said that during the ongoing acquisition process, a substantial stretch of land was found between the already acquired area and the national highway. "We have decided to acquire that land as well to ensure planned urban expansion. Since the master plans for Blocks E to J are already approved, fresh plans will be prepared for the newly added areas. The extension will include both residential and commercial sites," the official said. GMADA chief administrator Sakshi Sawhney confirmed that the proposal to acquire nearly 2,490 acres in Banur has received formal approval. The acquisition proposal follows recent amendments to the Banur master plan approved by the Punjab regional and town planning and development authority. The changes converted the concerned land use into a residential zone. GMADA is also carrying out development works worth Rs.509 crore across 1,600 acres in Blocks B, C and D of the project....