LUCKNOW, July 14 -- The Uttar Pradesh Housing and Development Board (Awas Vikas Parishad) is set to launch its 2,092-plot Saumitra Vihar township at Rs.2,510 per sq ft, nearly 40% cheaper than the Lucknow Development Authority's current residential plot rates. The scheme is awaiting Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) approval and is likely to open for bookings in August, officials confirmed on Saturday. The township is coming up on New Jail Road near Gosainganj and has been submitted for RERA approval. Officials said bookings will begin immediately after the project receives regulatory clearance. A senior housing board official, requesting anonymity, said all major groundwork has been completed and only RERA clearance is awaited. "We have completed the land acquisition process and submitted the project for RERA approval. The scheme has been planned to provide residential plots at affordable rates. As soon as we receive the approval, we will launch the first phase for the public," he added. Spread over nearly 270 acres, the township will have 2,092 residential plots across five sectors with multiple plot-size categories. Around 400 plots will be released in the first phase, while the remaining units will be offered in subsequent phases, according to housing board officials. Officials said the township has been planned as an integrated residential development with scope for future expansion. An executive engineer associated with the project said the township is located on New Jail Road with connectivity to Sultanpur-Rae Bareli Road and the Purvanchal Expressway, providing access to different parts of Lucknow and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Housing board secretary Neeraj Shukla said if RERA approval is received by the end of July, the scheme will open for public bookings in August. Meanwhile, LDA officials said residential plots in the Anant Nagar scheme are priced higher due to increased land acquisition, development and infrastructure costs. They said the project remained stalled for nearly 12 years because of land compensation issues, raising the overall cost....