LUCKNOW, March 20 -- The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) will prioritise large-scale land acquisition for its upcoming township projects-Naimish Nagar and Varun Vihar-in its proposed budget of around Rs 4,500 crore, which it is likely to present at the Board meeting on Friday. Officials said the authority has placed land purchase and farmer compensation at the centre of this year's financial planning, signalling a clear push towards expanding the city through new housing schemes. According to Deepak Singh, chief finance officer, LDA, the authority projects an expenditure exceeding Rs 4,500 crore this financial year. The state government has already released around Rs 700 crore to support land acquisition, providing initial financial backing for the projects. Apart from land purchase, the proposed budget also includes provisions for developing basic infrastructure in these upcoming townships. htc...