Hindustan Times 03.02.2010
State plans to build 30 new townships in 5 yearsAs it plans for more cities to cope with rapid urbanisation, the state’s Urban Development Department plans to rope in the private sector to build infrastructure for future growth areas.
The state government, anticipating that 50 per cent of the state’s population would be living in urban areas by 2014, is planning to develop new cities.
Near Mumbai, these cities will be proposed along the multi-modal Virar-Alibaug corridor. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has conceptualised the Rs 10,000 crore multi-modal corridor to improve connectivity in the region. This corridor will be implemented on a public-private partnership basis.
The state government will encourage private residential townships spread over 100 acres and above.
These townships will contain all amenities like connecting roads, sewage treatment plants and water supply will be developed and maintained by private developers.
The state wants to develop 30 such townships in five years. Seventeen of these — around Pune, Nagpur and in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region like Thane and Panvel — have already got in-principle approval.
All municipal councils will get accommodation reservation, a land development tool currently used in cities.
This means owners of land can develop the facility for which the land is reserved (such as a library), hand it over to the local body free of cost and then utilise the development right equivalent to the full permissible floor space index for his own purpose.
This is expected to help urbanisation and regulate illegal construction.
Following Development Control rules, which regulate land development and construction, will also be made mandatory for fringe areas located 10 km beyond city boundaries.
