LUCKNOW, June 20 -- Lucknow is set to have its first grid road system as part of the expansive IT City project, which spans 2,858 acres between Sultanpur Road and Kisan Path. The project will feature 10 sectors, offering direct access to major highways, said LDA officials. The grid road network comprising 45-meter, 30-meter, 24-meter, and 18-meter-wide roads will lay the foundation for infrastructure in the new project. LDA vice-chairman Prathamesh Kumar has directed chief engineer Navneet Sharma to begin development work as per the approved layout. The agency will begin construction of grid roads from July. Grid road system is a rectangular layout that provides multiple routes with a network of streets (laid out in a rectangular pattern), where roads intersect at right angles, creating a grid-like structure. Officials said the scheme is gaining momentum with active participation from local landowners through land pooling. So far, 39 landowners from five villages have offered over 185.95 acres of land free of cost under the land pooling model. On Thursday, two individuals of a private company handed over 50,167 sq m of their land in Mohari Khurd to LDA by signing the agreement deed. LDA officials said this growing support from farmers and private stakeholders is accelerating the pace of the project. To facilitate land mobilisation, a site office is being developed in Mohari Khurd, with two naib tehsildars, two amins, two lekhpals, and two other staff members deputed to engage with farmers and expedite agreements. The IT City will also offer around 5,000 residential plots ranging from 72 sq m to 200 sq m, in addition to larger plots earmarked for group housing. "We are planning this scheme to attract maximum private investment," said Kumar. "It will include 445.65 acres of industrial land and 260 acres for commercial use, which will create jobs and boost economic activity," he added. A 200-acre golf city and a 15-acre water body are also part of the master plan, aimed at promoting green and eco-friendly urban development. Officials said these additions will enhance the livability and environmental sustainability of the project. LDA joint secretary Sushil Pratap Singh said efforts to collect land from other participating villages are on, with a positive response so far. The scheme includes land from 10 villages in the Mohanlalganj tehsil: Bakkas, Sonai Kanjehra, Sikandarpur Amoliya, Siddhpura, Parehta, Pahadnagar Tikaria, Rakibabad, Mohari Khurd, Khujauli, and Bhatwara. Singh said with infrastructure work starting soon and landowners coming forward in support, LDA's IT City is shaping up as a major urban development zone poised to drive investment and generate employment in the state capital....