CDP for greater Berhampur region to be ready in six months

BERHAMPUR: A Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) for Greater Berhampur region is expected to be ready in next six months. It was declared by Berhampur Development Authority Chairperson Sarat Ranjan Patnaik at a workshop organised in the city on Saturday to elicit views from corporators and councilors of the local urban bodies under the BDA. The corporatoers of Berhampur Municipal Corporation and councilors of Gopalpur and Chatrapur Notified Area Councils (NAC) attended the workshop. The technical team that attended the workshop was led by chief planner of the Town and Country Planning Organisation (TCPO), J.B. Khirsagar. The TCPO, which happens to be the technical advisory body of Central Ministry of Urban Development, is preparing the CDP for greater Berhampur. The master plan is likely to be ready in another six months.

Mr. Khirsagar described the process through which the new master plan is being prepared. The new master plan is Geographical Information System (GIS) based. It depends on both remote sensing data from satellites as well as the ground level data collected by surveys. The Orissa government is bearing the cost of the CDP preparation, which would cost around Rs. 1.08 crores. Mr. Khirsagar said the TCPO was providing the technical collaboration without taking any consultancy fee. The city would get its master plan after four decades as its last master plan was prepared in 1969. The present CDP is being prepared keeping in view the development of greater Berhampur till the year 2031. The area under greater Berhampur will include the urban centres of Berhampur, Gopalpur and Chatrapur and 139 villages between them. The CDP will comprise a total area of 317 sq. km. having a population of around 12 lakhs.

Sources: The Hindu, Orissagrowth, Orissatv

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

Berhampur city all set to have a master plan

BERHAMPUR: After a long gap of 40 years, Berhampur city is set to get a master plan for its planned development. The Berhampur Development Authority (BDA) organised a launching workshop on Saturday on the preparations of Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) for a greater Berhampur. The CDP is to be prepared by the Town and Country Planning Organisation (TCPO), the technical advisory body of Central Ministry of Urban Development. The new master plan would be Geographical Information System (GIS)-based. It would depend on remote sensing data provided by satellites as well as the ground level data collected through surveys. (For more on this visit: http://www.dharitri.com/280609/story8.asp)
This workshop was attended by the chief planner of the TCPO, J.B.Khirsagar, director of State Town Planning, chairman of the BDA, Sarat Ranjan Patnaik, chairpersons of Chatrapur and Gopalpur NAC and Mayor of Berhampur municipal corporation. Representatives of all sections of society, various departments of the administration, police officials and social organizations who are stake holders to this new master plan took part in this interactive workshop to provide suggestions.
The preparation of the CDP would cost around Rs. 1,09,75,000. The State Government, which would bear the cost, has provided Rs. 35.50 lakhs for it in the first phase. It may be noted that Berhampur, a major trading and cultural centre had its last master plan way back in 1969. This master plan envisioned the urban growth and required basic amenities for a population of over two lakh persons by the year 1986. The present CDP however would provide urban development plan for the area now under the BDA which includes areas of urban bodies like Berhampur, Gopalpur and Chatrapur and 139 villages. This would be part of the greater Berhampur with a vision of development for next 30 years. The CDP would comprise a total area of 317 square km having a population of one million.

Source: The Hindu