Availability of clean drinking water, suitable cleanliness arrangements and development of parking facilities in the city will be the top priorities in coming years, stated Pramod Dubey who completed one year in office as Raipur City’s Mayor on Thursday.
“A massive action plan will soon be chalked out for development of Raipur during next four years. It is going to carry out various big works in the city during the coming days. Moreover, RMC is planning to launch a series of schemes to ensure revenue generation,” stated Dubey while interacting with media persons here.
Dubey also made an appeal to the State Government to ensure development of old Raipur on the lines of developmental works underway in Naya Raipur.
Responding to a query, the Mayor hinted of taking initiative for developing a multi-level parking at Jawahar Market which is one of the most crowded place, located in the heart of the city while saying that a discussion for construction of multi-level parking was held with businessmen operating in the area.
Under Dubey's leadership RMC has carried out significant works including approval of long-pending pipeline laying scheme to the tune of around Rs 100 crore, purchasing of high rise fire fighting vehicle, sterilization of around 2000 stray dogs and setting up of around 22 Wi-fi zones across the city.
Moreover, 400 mobile garbage collection rickshaws, 100 containers, 30 small commercial hydraulic tipper trailers mounted suction machines, a drain cleaning and jetting machine and three vehicles for cleanliness purpose were purchased from fund sanctioned under 13th Finance Commission during the period of Dubey’s one year tenure.
Similarly, works accomplished by RMC under the Mayor’s leadership include dedication of Central library, multi-level parking at old bus-stand, construction of 1.23 km long Ramnagar road with the expenditure of around Rs 8 crore, development of open-air gym in Anupam Garden and Gandhi Udyan, tarring of prominent roads with expenditure of around Rs 30 crore, identification of Raipur as Smart City through a competition and setting up of two water ATMs in the city.
Notably, the Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) will soon be installing a 77 meter nigh National Flag Mast at the Telibandha lake front in Raipur.
The lake would also have flood lights with power back-up, officials stated.
Notably, the civic body will also soon commence work on developing a wide set of world-class recreational facilities at the popular Telibandha lake Front in the city.
The project would be established on Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode, officials stated.
The RMC is now seeking consultations for Conceptualization, Development, Operation, Maintenance and Management of water based and other recreation activities at Telibandha lake front , officials stated.
As part of lake area development, RMC is keen to develop, operate and maintain Public Experience Zone and Entertainment Center at Telibandha lake and its surroundings complementing pre-existing facilities, so as to provide people of Raipur with facilities such as: lake Front Meditation Centre and Event Area, Jogging and Cycling Track, lake Front Kids Play facilities and Adventure Sports, Public utilities & Washrooms, lake Front Entertainment facility, lake front Food Court facility, Water sports facility and even a Floating Restaurant.
Significant to mention here is that a total of nine cities selected under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) Mission are also set to receive a major infrastructural facelift.
The cities chosen under AMRUT Mission are—Raipur, Durg, Bhilai, Rajnandgaon, Bilaspur, Korba, Raigarh, Ambikapur and Jagdalpur.
Notably, Chhattisgarh will now also witness total convergence of three major and highly ambitious Centrally-sponsored urban development schemes in the days ahead.
As per a detailed note issued by the Union Urban Development Ministry, out of the 9 states under consideration, there is total convergence of housing, AMRUT and Smart City Missions in respect of Chhattisgarh (2 smart and 9 Amrut cities), Jammu & Kashmir (1 and 3), Kerala (1 and 7), MP (7 and 32), Odisha (2 and 9), Rajasthan (4 and 28), Telangana (2 and 11).
This in effect means, 25 of the 26 smart cities in these 9 states are also covered under AMRUT and Housing missions as well and 123 AMRUT cities under housing mission, it stated.
Significantly, Raipur and Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh which have been included among 100 other cities in the country for ‘Smart Cities’ Mission would also be developed as ‘green cities’.
The Union Ministry of Urban Development will be utilising the services of the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), a unit of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to develop energy efficient cities, officials stated.
Notably , the the Centre has also approved Raipur and Bilaspur to be developed as ‘Solar cities’ in Chhattisgarh.
So far, 55 existing cities in 27 States/UTs are being developed as solar cities in the country under ‘Development of Solar Cities Programme', senior government officials stated.
In fact, Raipur city was the only city among nine other cities in the country which was chosen by the Centre among the ‘Pilot Solar Cities’ for implementation of its ambitious ‘Development of Solar Cities Programme’ in 2013-14,as per the 2013-14 annual report of the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for 2013-14.