Bhubaneswar, Cuttack plan hits hurdle

The mega city development plan (CDP) for Bhubaneswar and Cuttack seems to have confronted hurdles despite state chief minister Naveen Patnaik's personal interest in it.

Orissa is yet provide technical and statutory details about the dual cities to the 10-member expert panel of engineers from the department of architectural and regional planning ( DARP) of Kharagpur IIT, currently working on the document.

These include statutory information from the government on aspects relating to data, land and map details about the twin cities.

CDP would be based on the information provided by the government to the expert panel.

The expert panel has forwarded conditions of completing the CDP in a span of 9-11 months from December 2007 provided the government gives the required information at the appropriate time.

Sources said, the CDP is unlikely to take shape before mid-2008.

The Perspective Plan - Vision 2030 has already been submitted to the Orissa government by IIT Kharagpur experts and a state technical committee is presently reviewing the details.

A couple of months would be required for finalisation of the document.

It is only after the adoption of the Perspective Plan that the IIT experts would start giving final touches to the CDP, which would then take up 9-11 months time for adoption.

According to one of the experts, "We have already submitted the Concept Paper and the Perspective Plan - Vision 2030 for Bhubaneswar and Cuttack's development. It is only after the government technical committee adopts the Perspective Plan that the work for CDP would begin".

The plan submitted to the government contains details of all non-statutory civic life and land use pattern and matters relating to policy level developments .

All policy level ingredients have been included in the Perspective Plan, but not details to the gross plot level and detail level demarcations in the Perspective Plan or the Concept Paper.

These details will be included in the upcoming gross CDP.

The concept paper points out that the future of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Urban Complex is crucial to development of the state.

If efficiently and equitably managed, it will trigger collateral development of the adjoining hinterland and the overall development of the region.

The total planning area is 720 square kilometres.

The first Master Plan for Bhubaneswar was worked out in 1968 spanning over a period of 20 years till 1988.

It was after that in 1993 when Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) made a second attempt in working out a CDP for Bhubaneswar.

Community Consulting India Private Limited has been retained as consultants by Indo-USAID FIRE (D-III) Project to provide technical assistance to BMC in preparing a full-fledged and updated and latest Master Plan for the city.

The new CDP will mostly be worked out to access funds from the centrally sponsored Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for upgradation of cities through a set of identified objectives and ensure compatibility.

Sources said, the Perspective Plan includes provisions for creation of zones for multiplex, retail malls and theme parks for outdoor recreation, film city development, logistic hub for prime urban centres, textile parks, development of another railway station for Western Orissa, circular trains for cheaper mass transportation, upgrading existing airport, PPP module for setting up multi-level freeways, world class club-towns, flood management plan for Cuttack ( Venice model), garland lake system, water front development, health city, setting up art village and travel circuit, adventure tourism in reserve forests and creation of nature corridors.

Areas around Lingaraj Temple and Bindusagar also need to be developed.