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ASIA SPEAKS NEWS SERVICE
BARAMULLA, OCTOBER 05: Commissioner Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department (HUDD), Mandeep Kour, today chaired a comprehensive stakeholders’ consultation meeting to deliberate upon the draft GIS-based Master Plans for Baramulla, Sopore and Pattan being prepared under AMRUT 2.0, at Dak Bungalow, Baramulla.
The meeting was attended by Member of Legislative Assembly Baramulla Javid Hassan Beigh; MLA Sopore Irshad Rasool Kar; MLA Pattan Javaid Reyaz Bedar; MLA Wagoora-Kreeri Irfan Hafeez Lone; Deputy Commissioner Baramulla S.F. Hamid, ADDC Baramulla, ADC Baramulla, ADC Sopore, senior officers from the HUDD and other line departments, public representatives, stakeholders, representatives of various organisations and members of civil society.
The meeting had a comprehensive presentation on the draft Master Plans highlighting the major provisions, proposed planning interventions, land-use considerations, infrastructure requirements, development priorities and other components envisaged for the systematic and sustainable development of the three towns.
The Commissioner Secretary held detailed discussions with the participants on various provisions of the draft plans and sought their suggestions and observations.
The elected representatives and other stakeholders also put forward their views and suggestions concerning urban development, infrastructure, connectivity, public amenities, institutional requirements and other local priorities.
MLA Baramulla Javid Hassan Beigh highlighted the limited availability of state land within Baramulla town as a major challenge. He suggested that the Master Plan should identify suitable peripheral areas where the government offices and projects that do not require daily public access could be shifted.
MLA Sopore Irshad Rasool Kar stressed the need to address the scattered location of government offices and suggested provision for a Mini Secretariat in Sopore in the Master Plan.
MLA Wagoora-Kreeri Irfan Hafeez Lone emphasised that development envisaged under the Master Plan should be sustainable and balanced with adequate safeguards to protect the region’s agricultural and horticultural land and livelihood interests.
Meanwhile, Reyaz Bedar highlighted the need for widening of road in Pattan town, provision of a truck terminal, and effective utilisation of available state land for various developmental projects.
Various other stakeholders and representatives from civil society also raised issues. They offered suggestions concerning land utilisation, infrastructure, connectivity, public amenities, traffic management, institutional requirements and future development of the three towns.
Responding to the inputs, Mandeep Kour emphasised that the Master Plan is an important long-term planning document that will shape the future growth, infrastructure development and urban management of Baramulla, Sopore and Pattan and therefore requires extensive consultation with all concerned stakeholders.
The Commissioner Secretary urged all stakeholders to go through the draft Master Plans in detail and submit their representations, suggestions and observations within the prescribed timeline assuring that all representations would be examined carefully before the Master Plans are finalised and notified.
DC Baramulla urged all stakeholders, public representatives, departments and members of civil society to carefully examine the draft Master Plan and submit their representations, suggestions and observations within 21 days, so that the inputs can be duly examined and incorporated in the Master Plan.
Later, Mandeep Kaur, accompanied by DC Baramulla, conducted an inspection of various sites in Baramulla, including Baramulla Jetty, Janbazpora and other locations, to review the ongoing and proposed development works.
