Lack of space a hindrance to BDA's plans

BERHAMPUR: The Berhampur Development Authority (BDA), which is preparing the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) for greater Berhampur region, is worried over lack of space to provide basic amenities to people within the city limits. According to BDA Chairperson Sarat Ranjan Patnaik, different government departments holding large patches of land for their residential quarters are not ready to part these patches of land for planned development of the city. He has asked the State government to take up measures so that the unutilised land could be used for better planning of the city for the future. (CDP for Greater Berhampur Region: http://orissagov.nic.in/housing&urban/Tender_Quo_Advt/6096_11-11-09.pdf),  Several corporators of the city, during a workshop for the crafting of the CDP, have suggested better public use of the vast patches of vacant land under different residential quarters of government officials. Lack of space inside the city limits can be assessed from the fact that most major market areas of the key trading centre of south Orissa still do not have proper parking space and public toilets. Despite plans of the BDA for four well- equipped parking zones and allocation of funds for the purpose, it could not be taken up as revenue department and the municipality could not hand over land for the purpose. These parking zones which have not come up were proposed near Kamapalli, Annapurna market, Bada Bazar and Gate Bazar areas. In most places, the government land was either found to be taken over by encroachers or the government departments were not ready to hand over the vast land inside the campus of residential quarters.
Source: The Hindu