Srinagar: In a bid to de-congest the summer capital of Srinagar the state government has decided to shift several government offices and at least three hospitals out of the city to other locations.
As per the Master Plan-2035 the administrative restructuring of the summer capital has been proposed to decongest and reduce the traffic movement in the city.
As per the approved plan, Doordarshan complex would be relocated to Airport; District Police Lines to Eidgah-Noorbagh; Government Press to Sempora; deputy chief minister’s official residence in Lal Chowk to Sonwar and Chief Justice’s residence to Gupkar.
Also, Chest Diseases Hospital would be relocated from Dalgate to Zewan; Psychiatric Diseases Hospital from Badamwari to Khunmoh and Veterinary Hospital from Maisuma to Eidgah-Noorbagh.
The master plan is third such developmental plan drafted for the city in the last 45 years to achieve its sustainable physical and economic growth.It has a planning area of 766 sq kms which includes areas falling within limits of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and that of urban local bodies of Budgam, Ganderbal, Pampore and Khrew and 160 villages in Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Bandipora and Baramulla districts.
The master plan has been prepared for threshold population of around three million people of the city – an estimated population by 2035. “The existing institutions have to be upgraded especially in terms of professional manpower and knowledge for which the government departments should be duty bound,” the plan reads.
It adds that in the first place, Srinagar Development Authority (SAD) should be re-designated as Srinagar Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (SMRDA) for which necessary provisions in the existing legislation need to be made.The master plan prepared by chief town planner Kashmir Fayaz A Khan, further stresses that Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) also needs to be made more vibrant in terms of socio-economic development including town planning and delivery of functions as per the 74th constitutional amendment.
It has stressed upon that SMRDA, with well-established departments, shall ensure that planning and development become a continuous process and does not calumniate with the formulation of a master plan only or piecemeal execution of individual projects.
“It (SMRDA) shall ensure implementation of master plan as per priorities, its timely review and updation, assessment of policy domain, preparation of core area plan, zonal plans, reform priority as per the changing requirements of the city etc,” it reads.