Central Government has approved the city development plan for city Shimla said Himachal Pradesh Urban Development Minister Thakur Kaul Singh while speaking in high level ministerial meeting on Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission organized by Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviatoin in Jan man Singh hotel New Delhi yesterday.
Thakur said that State Government has signed memorandum of understanding with Union Government for undertaking various development projects in Shimla city and told that Centre has sanctioned 22.7 crore rupees solid waste management project for Shimla and its approval was conveyed to the State Government on 9th March, 2007. He hoped that all the remaining projects of Shimla city would be sanctioned by the Centre soon.
Thakur told that Government would reduce stamp duty in Shimla town to 5% during the year 2007 and also informed that double entry system of accounts would be introduced in municipal area in Shimla from 1st April, 2007. He said that Urban Ceiling Act is not applicable in Shimla town and told the e-governance is being introduced in municipal council Shimla very shortly.
He said that State Government has made rain water harvesting mandatory for all the new buildings in municipal limits Shimla town and added that Government is encouraging public private partnership in big way for the development projects of the Shimla. He said that constructions of interstate bus stand, subzi mandi, commercial complex and parking are being undertaken through public private partnership and BOT basis in the State.
Thakur Kaul Singh told that special category State like north east and Jammu and Kashmir have been given cost sharing pattern of 90:10 under the JNNURM and UIDSSMT while the State like Himachal and Uttrakhand have been left out. He demanded that Himachal and Uttrakhand should be treated at par with the other States and should be provided the cost pattern of 90:10 keeping in view of the similar tough geographical conditions.
Kaul Singh Thakur told that construction of houses in hilly areas is more expensive as it requires sites development including cutting and filling of the land which is cost intensive work. He told that designs of the buildings are to be made earth quake proof as the entire State falls in the seismic zone. He said that transportations of the material from other States and carrying material on head load have further escalated the building construction cost in the hilly areas. He pleaded for increase of per unit cost from present 90,000 to rupees 2 lakhs per unit for hilly areas under integrated housing and slum development programmes.
Born at Village Bhawarna, District Kangra, HP. Currently employed at Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
