Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is all set to expand its successful urban planning scheme to three additional cities. The government has announced the extension of its successful Town Planning (TP) scheme to the cities of PK (Puri-Konark), Cuttack and Berhampur.
The Housing & Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mohapatra chaired a strategic meeting in this regard here on Thursday placing emphasis on the efficient deployment of the Town Planning (TP) scheme in these cities.
The ‘Triple City’ initiative aims to enhance land management and develop essential infrastructure across the holy city of Puri, the historical town of Konark, the industrial hub of Cuttack, and the silk city Berhampur. As part of the scheme, 40% of land from common people in these cities will be acquired for building roads, drainage systems, electricity networks, markets, and parks, with landowners retaining the remaining 60%.
The Minister has called for the prompt execution of the revised scheme, stressing the importance of safeguarding residents against exploitation by intermediaries. He advised government officials and relevant stakeholders to be vigilant in ensuring fair and transparent processes. This protective measure aims to uphold fairness and equity in the distribution and development processes.
The expansion is expected to bring about significant improvements in urban planning and infrastructure. Emphasising the importance of this initiative, the Minister remarked, “We are committed to implementing this scheme effectively and ensuring that the benefits reach the rightful owners without any undue influence.”
“Our government wants as much development as possible in these cities. Usually, people who have houses close to the main road are the benefiters while those have houses a bit interior face lot of problems due to lack of space, road and connectivity. As our government is for the common people, we are looking into these problems. So, we are planning to take 40% of their lands and build all the facilities including drainage, sewerage, light system and proper road,” he added.
