Govt initiates social impact assessment before land acquisition for 4 satellite townships

Patna: The urban development and housing department (UDHD) has written to the district magistrates of Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur and Saran, asking them to initiate a social impact assessment (SIA) before the acquisition of land for four proposed greenfield satellite townships.Principal secretary Vinay Kumar issued separate letters to the DMs, directing them to undertake the SIA under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The study will assess the likely impact of land acquisition on affected families, livelihoods, social structures, local resources and other socio-economic aspects.The proposed projects include the Pataliputra greenfield satellite township in Patna, Magadh Greenfield Satellite Township in Gaya, Tirhut Greenfield Satellite Township in Muzaffarpur and Harharnathpur Greenfield Satellite Township in Sonepur, Saran.According to the department, around 3,008 acres have been identified for the core area of the Pataliputra township, 1,629 acres for the Magadh township, 1,191 acres for the Tirhut township and nearly 2,000 acres for the Harharnathpur township.Kumar said the state govt is developing greenfield satellite townships to ensure planned urban expansion, strengthen civic infrastructure and create new centres of economic activity.

The projects are expected to bring structural changes to Bihar’s urban economy while reducing pressure on existing cities, he added.The move follows decisions taken by the state cabinet. A resolution issued on April 23, 2026, identified the core and special areas for the townships, while another resolution issued on July 9, 2026, approved the acquisition of additional land required for town-planning schemes, infrastructure, public services and allied facilities.The department clarified that any additional land required for infrastructure and future expansion of the satellite townships will be acquired separately, as per project requirements, after completion of the statutory SIA process.