GUWAHATI, Feb 7 - Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today announced a number of projects for development of Guwahati, including establishment of a State Capital Region encompassing Guwahati and its neighbouring areas.
Presenting the Budget for the year 2017-18 in the State Legislative Assembly, Sarma said that only Guwahati has a municipal corporation in the entire State and has seen rapid growth and expansion.
�For the continued growth of the city and to prevent haphazard growth in outlying areas, a long-term plan and zoning is paramount. Keeping this in view... a State Capital Region will be established encompassing Guwahati and its neighbouring areas. In this regard, we have initiated the preparatory works and different city development models available in the country, including the National Capital Region, are being studied. It is envisaged to establish a separate authority, namely, Assam State Capital Region Development Agency. This agency will work in coordination with the existing agencies like GMDA, GMC and other urban local bodies, and panchayats to transform Guwahati region into a large, vibrant metropolis,� he said.
He said the government will soon come up with a draft legislation to make the Assam State Capital Region Development Agency a reality. He said, laying emphasis on expansion of the city to the north bank, a new project is being conceived for construction of two bridges across the Brahmaputra � one connecting Panbazar to North Guwahati and another connecting Palasbari to Sualkuchi.
Sarma said a global tender has been called for consultancy works for preparation of the DPR. The government proposed to allocate Rs 100 crore in this financial year for construction of these bridges. �Once this project is completed, Guwahati city will expand towards the north bank and the congestion in the city will be relieved,� he said.
The government also proposed to allot Rs 200 crore in the Budget, to be released over three years to develop landmark public infrastructure projects in the city.
He said that the preparatory works for the Guwahati Smart City project have been initiated and an amount of Rs 189 crore as Central share has been received.
�I have provided Rs 400 crore in the current Budget for this prestigious project. Our government has also decided to develop an International Standard Botanical Park at the site of Old Jail Land Complex at Fancy Bazar on the lines of Singapore�s Park Interconnect Model, under Guwahati Open Spaces and Park Integrator (GOPI) network. Further, the long-pending Ropeway Project connecting South and North Guwahati is targeted to be completed by July, 2017, for which financial sanction for an amount of Rs 18.46 crore has already been issued,� Sarma said.
Sarma said that to resolve the problems related to solid waste management and sewage disposal, the Guwahati Jal Board will implement a sewerage project for a major portion of the city, which shall be completed by 2022. �For upgradation and better management of solid waste in the city, IIT-Kharagpur has been engaged as consultant to suggest the basic design of the item required for scientific management of the dumpsite at Boragaon to prevent environmental pollution,� said the Minister.
To provide drinking water to the citizens of Guwahati, JNNURM-assisted SGWWS project shall also be commissioned in April, 2017, and accordingly, Phase I of JICA-assisted GWSP shall supply water through partial commissioning in 2017.
For the financial year 2017-18, an amount of Rs 205.28 crore has been proposed for JICA-assisted GWSP.
�To resolve the perennial problem of artificial flooding in Guwahati, the construction of RCC drains at Noonmati basin for the diversion of entire floodwater of RG Baruah Road, Chandmari, Jyotinagar and Noonmati areas has been taken up and is expected to be completed during April, 2017. Further, the construction of sump wells at Anil Nagar and Lachit Nagar has also been initiated, which will result in the stoppage of backflow of River Bharalu and facilitate effective pumping of floodwater to reduce the duration of water-logging,� Sarma said.
To resolve the issue of lack of public vehicle parking spaces in Guwahati, the government proposes two multilevel car parkings � one on the Text Book Corporation land at Panbazar and another underground car parking below the existing GMDA parking at Ganeshguri � which are proposed during 2017-18 at an estimated cost of Rs 32 crore.
Sarma also proposed to establish a State Institute of Urban Development in Guwahati for which an amount of Rs 2 crore has been proposed during the coming fiscal. This will help build capacities among the municipal staff.