Major initiative by Department of Housing and Urban Affairs to prepare scientific masterplanes in 102 cities of the state using satellite technology
Bhupen Goswami
GUWAHATI : Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and Irrigation Ashok Singhal reviewed the masterplan project of the town and village planning department in the meeting room of his office at Janata Bhawan today and held several important meetings with top officials of The Guwahati Municipal Corporation and Irrigation Department and took stock of the various activities of the departments. In his meeting with the Directorate of Urban and Village Planning, Minister Singhal reviewed in detail the work of the masterplanes prepared by the department for the municipal areas of the state and gave some important instructions.
He appreciated the officials in charge of the promptness shown by the department towards the preparation of the masterplanes of the cities. It may be mentioned that the Department of Town and Village Planning has undertaken a massive drive to prepare a full-fledged masterplan of these cities by taking a long-term vision for the planned and scientific development of 102 cities of the state under the special initiative of Minister Ashok Singhal. As part of this, the Advisory Council has already approved the masterplanes of 29 municipal corporations of the state. Tezpur, Barpeta, Nazira, Shimluguri, Dergaon, Naharkatia, Namrup, Rangia, Palashbari-Mirza-Vijayanagar, Golaghat, Mangaldoi, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Gauripur, Goalpara, Biswanath Chariali, North Lakhimpur, Jagiroad, Nagaon, Sonari, Kokrajhar, Karimganj, Nalbari, Silchar, Tinsukia. It is worth noting that instead of traditional methods, these entire masterplanes prepared by the department are using the latest satellite technologies like Geographical Information System [GIS]. In another meeting with The Guwahati Municipal Corporation, Minister Singhal today reviewed various aspects such as application and supervision of super sankar machines, easy housing scheme of the Chief Minister, setting up of fish markets, setting up of waste treatment centres, payment of online property tax, completion of semi-constructed market houses.
Mayor Mrigen Sharania was also present in the meeting. In another meeting the Minister reviewed the progress in the work of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana [urban areas] in various municipal areas of the state. He directed the Director of PMAY [U] to regularly meet the executive officers of municipal bodies through video conferencing to oversee the work of the scheme. On the other hand, in a meeting with Additional Chief Secretary S. Abbasi, Secretary Pabitra Ram Khaund and other top officials of the Irrigation Department, Minister Singhal today took stock of some of the functions of the department. He decided to set a time limit for completing the work of the schemes before March next March. He directed the Additional Chief Secretary to have necessary contact with the concerned departments of the Central Government to expedite the process of identifying tea growers as beneficiaries as well.
