Odisha readying blueprint for peri-urban development

The Odisha government has decided to prepare a comprehensive five-year perspective plan for development of basic infrastructure in peri-urban areas (the localities immediately surrounding a city or town) of major urban local bodies (ULBs) in the state. In a meeting held last week, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra directed the Departments of Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, Rural Development, Water Resources, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water to prepare this perspective plan. The departments were asked to make a detailed survey of the roads connecting the major ULBs, and identify missing intra-connecting links for creating a road network in these areas. The departments were told to work out the plan in about a month. The chief secretary discussed the need for seamless communication between fast-growing urban centres and peri-urban areas. He said development of good road communication in the peri-urban areas will facilitate the traffic flow into and out of the towns. Provisions of quality water supply, power supply, market places and basic services in these areas will add to ease of living. In the meeting, development commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena directed that permission for road cutting for laying of cables and pipes be given by the concerned road owning authorities. The agency or department executing the work should restore the road to its original shape immediately after the work in one portion of the road is over, he added. See also: Council approves draft Thiruvananthapuram master plan 2040Srinagar mayor assesses the status of SSCL projects