The urban development authorities of Gujarat’s two major cities, Ahmedabad, and Gandhinagar are collaborating on a joint development plan (DP) to be completed by March 2024. The plan will integrate the roads and civic infrastructure connecting both cities and consider the non-agricultural land of the 69 villages within Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority's green zone. The joint DP is also expected to improve the overall development of the two cities, as there is no clear boundary between them. However, experts caution that the plan must prioritize policy and prospects rather than project-driven development to prevent conflicts of interest.
The urban development authorities of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar are collaborating to create a joint development plan, which is a first for Gujarat. Officials from both authorities will work together to create a single development plan for both cities, with AUDA CEO Devang Desai taking on additional responsibility as the CEO of GUDA. The state is keen for both authorities to work together to produce the proposed joint DP of 2031, and work has already begun on mapping the areas under the jurisdictions of AUDA and GUDA. A report on the progress is expected to be completed within a year.
The proposal was shown to high-ranking officials in both the Urban Development Department and the Chief Minister's Office. According to a senior official from AUDA, many of the 69 villages within AUDA's green zone have non-agricultural land that will be considered when creating the new 10-year development plan. The official also explained that it would make sense to have a joint development plan for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad because there is no clear boundary between the two cities when considering real estate and overall development, citing examples such as the 200-feet SP Ring Road and another ring road.
The official also noted that the joint development plan would include a road that passes through Gandhinagar. Another reason for creating a joint plan is to improve the integration of roads and civic infrastructure that connect the two cities. The development plan is expected to be completed by March 2024 and may be announced after the 2024 general elections, following the results.
According to PL. Sharma, a former Chief Town Planner of Gujarat, the development plan process has three aspects: planning, implementation, and financing. He believes that the challenge of the upcoming development plan will be the concept itself. He explained that the government's focus would likely be on different projects for Gandhinagar and AUDA regions, such as GIFT City and bullet train projects, respectively. Therefore, a project-driven approach to development could create a conflict of interest in the development plan. Instead, Sharma suggests that the development plan should be driven by policies and prospects for the greater good.
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