The Hindu 10.12.09
Urban development draft policy adopts holistic approach
Special Correspondent
Specific corridors of industrial development connecting key cities may be taken up
Draft policy recommends establishment of industrial zones near smaller towns and cities
GULBARGA: The draft policy of the Urban Development plan circulated by the Urban Development Department in the State has proposed drastic changes in urban planning to achieve a holistic development in the future.
One of the major proposals mooted in the draft policy is to align the proposed urban development policy with other sector development policies, including the Industrial Development, Infrastructural Development policy to achieve overall development of urban areas. Implementing the different development policies of different sectors in isolation would lead to unbalanced development in some areas and sectors while leaving out the other sectors.
Official sources told The Hindu here today that the draft policy has recommended number of measures to be taken in the development of the larger metropolitan region — Bangalore Metropolitan Region (BMR) — around the core city.
Specific corridors of industrial development connecting the key cities in the State may be taken up on Hospet-Bellary-Raichur, Tumkur-Bangalore-Hosur-Mysore- Mandya, Belgaum-Hubli-Dharwad, Davanagere-Harihar and Ratnagiri-Goa-Karwar- Mangalore.
Growth centres
The draft policy also recommends establishment of industrial zones near smaller towns and cities to encourage the development of these areas and allowing them to emerge as growth centres.
The local bodies should also be empowered and encouraged to develop plans for their economic development.
In another major recommendation, it proposes to replace the local planning method with a broader spatial approach in the major cities, including Bangalore, Hubli-Dharwad and Mysore.
It recommends abolishing the existing Urban Development Authorities and to replace them with Metropolitan Planning Committees in Bangalore, Hubli-Dharwad and Mysore, and District Planning Committees in other cities.
The draft policy also said the district-level spatial planning should consolidate the various plans made by the local planning authorities and develop a draft plan for the improvement of the district as a whole.
The planning efforts should selectively channelise social and economic activities to tier-2 cities and concentrate on new investments in clusters that can have a high multiplier effect.
