22/01/2026
The Uttar Pradesh government is pushing forward with big plans to expand cities under the Chief Minister's Urban Expansion Scheme. For Varanasi, this means creating "Greater Banaras," a new township area along the Ring Road to ease city crowding and boost development.
The scheme has a total budget of 4,000 crore rupees for townships in four cities, with 1,000 crore set aside for Greater Varanasi. This will cover about 1,000 acres, focusing on villages like Harhua and Rajatalab. The Varanasi Development Authority (VDA) aims to build modern areas with homes, markets, malls, hotels, hospitals, schools, playgrounds, and more. This will help reduce pressure on the old city center and create jobs for locals.
Under the scheme, the government and local authorities share the cost of buying land – half each. Surveys are done, and land buying starts after farmer talks. The goal is to make new, planned neighborhoods where people can live and work away from the busy core.
Recent updates show progress. In June 2025, VDA approved a 150-acre township near the new international cricket stadium in Ganjari, along the Rajatalab Ring Road.
This "Sports City" will include high-tech features like multi-level parking. Other projects include Madhani Hi-Tech City on 150 acres near Sandha on the Ring Road, also under the CM scheme. World City Expo in Harhua is in land-buying stage, with hearings in January 2026.
These changes could transform home buying in Kashi (Varanasi), with more space for families and businesses. Locals in nearby villages will see faster growth, better roads, and new chances. The VDA added more villages to the development zone in 2024 to support this.
Work on Ring Road Phase-2, from Rajatalab to Harhua, is already helping connect these areas.
With surveys wrapping up and land deals moving, Greater Banaras could start taking shape soon, making Varanasi a bigger, brighter city.
[ Varanasi , banaras , kashi , Varanasi News , Rajatalab , Varanasi Development Authority ]
