Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government is working out an ambitious plan to develop a Greater Bhubaneswar in alignment with the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat, Viksit Odisha 2036’.
Plans are afoot to include the capital city, Konark, Puri, Cuttack, Khurda, and Paradip in the proposed Greater Bhubaneswar, Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra said on Wednesday.
The aim is to transform the entire region into a well-connected urban hub, while a ring road will be developed to link these important locations within the Greater Bhubaneswar area, he said.
This apart, the government is also planning to properly implement the Town Planning (TP) scheme across all five municipal corporations to ensure planned urban growth and safeguard the interests of land owners, the Minister said.
Necessary infrastructure like roads, drinking water, and street lighting will be developed in areas surrounding municipal corporations through the Town Planning scheme to facilitate the smooth expansion of urban centres, he said.
The Minister further stated that instruction has been issued for inclusion of several areas that are currently outside the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) limits. Areas like Sisupalagarh, Gangotri Nagar, parts of Khurdda, Nakhara, and Patia are proposed to be brought under the jurisdiction of BMC.
All these will immensely benefit the residents in these regions. People will get improved civic amenities, including better drinking water facilities, drainage systems, and street lighting. Funds have already been sanctioned under the peripheral development programme to implement this initiative, the Minister added.