GUWAHATI: The Assam Town & Country Planning Advisory Committee has approved master plans for 11 towns across the state.
The master plans were approved on Monday during a crucial meeting at Janata Bhawan in the presence of Housing and Urban Affairs and Irrigation Minister Ashok Singhal, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan, MLAs, and representatives from various state government departments.
The towns include Doboka, Lanka, Lumding, Hojai, Ramkrishna Nagar, Karimganj, Sonai, Lala, Hailakandi, Moran and Bilasipara.
Minister Ashok Singhal issued several directives to the Directorate of Town and Country Planning.
The Urban Affairs minister directed the department to ensure adequate allocation of open spaces, parks, and designated no-construction zones in the urban areas outlined by the master plans.
Singhal also underscored the need of geo-tagging water bodies, establishing waste disposal facilities away from environmentally sensitive areas, and revising the definition of no-construction zones, particularly by prohibiting landfilling in low-lying areas.
During the meeting, a district-level committee headed by the District Commissioner was also constituted.
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The committee will supervise the necessary permissions to ensure that water flow is not disrupted during new infrastructure development in urban areas.
Members of the committee include senior officers from the Public Works (Roads), Public Works (Buildings), Water Resources, Irrigation, Public Health Engineering Departments, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Zila Parishad.
The Deputy Director of Town and Country Planning of the respective district will serve as the member-secretary with local MLAs invited as special members for major infrastructure projects.
