Ghaziabad, June 29 -- The Ghaziabad district administration has begun drafting a roadmap for the proposed 'Greater Ghaziabad' project, which may involve merging local bodies such as Khoda, Loni, and Muradnagar into the Ghaziabad municipal corporation. The move follows directions from Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who floated the idea during a visit to the district on Thursday. The chief minister was in Ghaziabad to inaugurate a data centre at Central Electronics Limited and visit the Kailash Mansarovar Bhawan in Indirapuram. District magistrate Deepak Meena said, "On directions of the chief minister, we have asked the officials of the district administration and the corporation to chalk out a plan, which will then be submitted to the state government. The final decision will be taken at the state government level and will also involve the state cabinet." Currently, the Ghaziabad district includes nine urban local bodies-one municipal corporation, four Nagar Palikas (Khoda, Loni, Modinagar, and Muradnagar), and four Nagar Panchayats (Patla, Dasna, Faridnagar, and Niwari). The proposed merger will require both legislative approval and cabinet clearance. In 2023, ahead of the inauguration of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) priority section in Ghaziabad, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs Sunil Sharma (Sahibabad) and Nandkishor Gurjar (Loni) had raised civic concerns regarding Khoda and Loni with the chief minister. While BJP leaders back the proposal, opposition voices have criticised it. Former MLA Amarpal Sharma, whose wife Mohini Sharma chairs the Khoda Nagar Palika, alleged, "After the BJP lost the Khoda chairperson seat in 2023, its politicians floated the concept of merger. The corporation itself struggles to manage its jurisdiction areas, and managing Khoda and Loni would be a tough task. People in Khoda are yet to get tapped water supply and face many other civic issues like bad roads, sewerage disposal, proper drainage, etc., after repeated promises for years." In the May 2023 civic polls, the BJP won the Ghaziabad mayoral seat but lost the chairperson elections in Loni, Khoda, and Muradnagar. BJP MLA Nandkishor Gurjar said the proposed merger addresses core infrastructure issues and will enable access to larger development funds. "It is vital that they become part of Greater Ghaziabad," he said. Ranjita Dhama, chairperson of Loni Nagar Palika, did not respond to requests for comment. Officials noted that the Ghaziabad Development Authority has already included Ghaziabad, Loni, Muradnagar, and Modinagar in its integrated draft Master Plan 2031....