Bhubaneswar: In a bid to meet the needs of the expected population in 2040, the state government has decided to prepare master plans for nine AMRUT towns using Geo Informatics System (GIS).
The nine towns covered under Central scheme, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), are Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Puri, Bhadrak, Balasore and Baripada.
The BMC is already using the technology in the state capital to map the properties to ensure proper collection of holding tax. However, it will be upgraded with new areas, sources said, Friday.
The state government has submitted a proposal in this regard to the Union Ministry of Urban Development requesting the latter to sanction Rs 3.76 crore to execute the project. Orissa Space Application Centre (ORSAC) will conduct the survey, the sources said.
If the Centre allocates the required fund, the master plan would be ready by the financial year 2018-19, the sources said.
Earlier, the government has floated tender to prepare such master plan for 16 urban local bodies (ULBs)–Bargarh, Rayagada, Koraput, Paralakhemundi, Deogarh, Anandapur, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Pattamundai, Jajpur town, Nabarangpur, Phulbani, Malkangiri, Joda, Basudevpur and Dhamra port town.
The preparation of the master plan will start with the study of the existing conditions and assessment of the future needs and quantifying the deficiency and accounting for the potential resources and constraints. Based on the above studies development priorities will be set for the particular urban area taking into consideration the physical as well as socio-economic needs.
The sources also stated that with the implementation of the master plan, the selected towns will see proper land use, improved traffic and transportation, housing and slum improvement, public utilities, environmental improvement, education, research and other community facilities, plantation, heritage and tourism, management of the natural water bodies, etc.
Besides having a specific development of the towns, the GIS mapping will also help track the vacant government land and generate revenue from properties in the form of holding tax.
PNN