LUCKNOW, Oct. 17 -- The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) has decided to prepare layout designs for the city's ambitious IT City project internally instead of engaging a Gujarat-based agency. The move is aimed at speeding up the allotment process and holding the first plot lottery under the land pooling scheme by the end of November, officials said on Thursday. LDA vice chairman Prathamesh Kumar said the Gujarat agency had sought more time to finalise layouts and technical details, prompting the authority to take charge of the task. "We wanted to avoid unnecessary delays in a crucial project like IT City. Preparing the plans in-house allows us to control timelines and proceed swiftly with allotment," he added. Under the land pooling scheme, farmers and landowners contributing land for the project will receive 25% of the developed plots in return. The first phase covers Sectors 4 and 5, spread over nearly 200 acres. Officials said 2.5 acres of designated land blocks have been marked, and allotments will be made to landowners through a lottery system by the end of November. The IT City project spans 2,660 acres and is planned across 10 sectors with direct connectivity to Sultanpur Road and Kisan Path. Internal roads and basic infrastructure development are already underway. So far, 117 landowners have applied to pool over 550 bighas of land, and agreements for around 70 bighas have been finalised in Mohanlalganj tehsil. Joint secretary Sushil Pratap Singh said the ongoing acquisition under the Land Pooling Policy will soon conclude. "Once the process ends, new land pooling applications will not be accepted. Farmers giving 100% of their land will get 25% developed residential plots within the project, which will be worth many times more," he said. The IT City will include around 10,000 residential plots ranging from 72 sq metres to 200 sq metres, along with large plots for group housing. To attract private investment, 400 acres have been set aside for industrial use and 200 acres for commercial activities. A 200-acre Golf City surrounded by a green belt and a 15-acre water body is also part of the master plan. A 2-km connecting road between Kisan Path and the site is being built at a cost of about Rs 5 crore, while a 10-km internal road network is under construction....