The Assam Town and Country Planning Advisory Committee convened an important meeting at Janata Bhawan on Monday, where it approved master plans for 11 towns across the state. The towns included in this approval are Doboka, Lanka, Lumding, Hojai, Ramkrishna Nagar, Karimganj, Sonai, Lala, Hailakandi, Moran, and Bilasipara. The meeting was chaired by Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singhal and attended by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan, along with several MLAs such as Ramkrishna Ghosh, Abdul S Ali Sarkar, Kamalakshya Purkayastha, and Shibu Mishra. Representatives from various state government departments were also present.

During the meeting, Minister Singhal outlined several key directives for the Directorate of Town and Country Planning. These included ensuring that the master plans allocate adequate open spaces, parks, and designated no-construction zones within the urban areas. Singhal stressed the importance of geo-tagging water bodies to preserve them and mandated that waste disposal facilities be established away from environmentally sensitive regions. He also called for revisions to the definition of no-construction zones, specifically prohibiting landfilling in low-lying areas.

To facilitate the effective implementation of these master plans, the meeting established a district-level committee headed by the District Commissioner. This committee will be responsible for overseeing the issuance of necessary permissions and ensuring that water flow is not disrupted by new infrastructure projects in urban areas. The committee will include senior officers from the Public Works (Roads), Public Works (Buildings), Water Resources, Irrigation, and Public Health Engineering Departments, as well as the Chief Executive Officer of the Zila Parishad. The Deputy Director of Town and Country Planning for each district will serve as the member-secretary, with local MLAs invited as special members for major infrastructure projects.

Additionally, Minister Singhal directed authorities to organize workshops and seminars with key departments to promote awareness and ensure that all government entities involved in urban development adhere to the approved city master plans. This comprehensive approach aims to support effective urban planning while maintaining environmental and cultural sensitivities.