Baramulla, Oct 05: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday kicked off stakeholder consultations on the draft GIS-based Master Plans for Baramulla, Sopore and Pattan, prepared under the AMRUT 2.0 programme, with local legislators using the platform to flag land scarcity, the scattered location of government offices and the need to safeguard agricultural land.
Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Housing and Urban Development Department (HUDD), J&K, Mandeep Kour, chaired the meeting at Dak Bungalow, Baramulla.
The consultation as per Kashmir Convener was attended by MLA Baramulla Javid Hassan Beigh, MLA Sopore Irshad Rasool Kar, MLA Pattan 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.
A comprehensive presentation on the draft Master Plans was made, outlining 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 held detailed discussions with participants on the provisions of the draft plans and sought their suggestions and observations.
MLA Baramulla Javid Hassan Beigh flagged the limited availability of state land within Baramulla town as a major challenge and suggested that the Master Plan identify suitable peripheral areas where 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 a 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.
MLA Pattan Reyaz Bedar highlighted the need for widening of roads in Pattan town, provision of a truck terminal, and effective utilisation of available state land for various developmental projects.
Other stakeholders and civil society representatives also raised issues and offered suggestions concerning land utilisation, infrastructure, connectivity, public amenities, traffic management, institutional requirements and future development of the three towns.
‘Requires extensive consultation’
Responding to the inputs, Commissioner Secretary Urban Local Bodies Mandeep Kaur 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.
She 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, Commissioner Secretary Urban Local Bodies Mandeep Kaur, accompanied by DC Baramulla, inspected various sites in Baramulla, including Baramulla Jetty, Janbazpora and other locations, to review ongoing and proposed development works.
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