Metropolitan panel to do full UT macro-planning

The decision was taken at a meeting held in New Delhi today,chaired by Union Urban Development Secretary Saugata Roy. In light of the 74th Constitutional Amendment,and going by Article 243 of the Constitution,representatives of all the States and Union Territories with a population of more than 10 lakh were instructed to notify the Committee.

UT Urban Planning and Development Secretary Ram Niwas informed that the Chandigarh Administration would soon be notifying the Committee,which would comprise of elected representatives of both urban and rural local bodies like the Municipal Corporation (MC),panchayats etc,and be headed by the UT Administrator.

“After the Committee is constituted,the entire macro-planning of the city,including what kind of mega-projects the UT should have,decisions on the Municipal Corporation,developmental plans for the city,levying of taxes etc,and all other major decisions would be taken by the Metropolitan Planning Committee,” Niwas told Newsline.

The MPC would broadly be catering to planning about matters of common interest between the panchayats and the municipalities,including spatial planning,sharing of water and other physical and natural resources,integrated development of infrastructure and environmental conservation.

The overall objectives of investments likely to be made in the Metropolitan area by agencies of the Union government and State or Union Territory governments and other available resources,financial or otherwise,too will be decided by the Metropolitan Planning Committee.

So far,major decisions concerning the development of the UT used to be routed through the Advisory Council,which was constituted on orders of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Unlike the Advisory Council,which did not have any statutory backing or legal sanctity,the MPC would be having both statutory and Constitutional backing,as it will come up as part of an amendment to the Constitution of India.