Punjab moots master plans for all cities, towns

CHANDIGARH - The Punjab government has decided to prepare master plans for all the towns and cities in the state by the end of this year, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal announced Saturday.

Badal said the move to have the master plan for all towns and cities was aimed at checking the haphazard growth in these places and to ensure the integrated and planned development of urban sector.

Addressing a gathering at a village in Gurharsahai sub-division of the border district of Ferozepur, nearly 300 km from here, Badal said that the master plans for 10 cities and towns of Ludhiana, Mohali, Mullanpur, Dera Bassi, Zirakpur, Kharar, Banur, Bathinda, Abohar, Sri Hargobindpur and a regional plan for Mohali have already been notified.

He said that master plans of 34 towns were in the process of completion in the first phase and under the second phase, 40 towns have been added to the list of already declared local planning areas of 44 towns.

Emphasizing the need to provide basic civic amenities to people, Badal said that a detailed blue print has been prepared to cover all the cities and towns under the scheme of 100 per cent drinking water supply, sewerage, roads and street lighting.