C Assam
Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday delivered the inaugural address for the North East States Conclave on Urban Planning organized by the Government of Assam’s Department of Housing & Urban Affairs in collaboration with the High-Level Committee of the Union Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs at the premises of Assam Administrative Staff College in Guwahati.
In his address, Chief Minister Dr. Sarma said the current Government of Assam attaches great emphasis on the process of urbanization across the State with special focus on Guwahati, North-East India’s largest city. Referring to Guwahati as the natural “Gateway to the Northeast”, Chief minister Dr. Sarma said the largest city of North-East India had all the potential to transform itself into the “Gateway to South-East Asia” and necessary works and planning in this regard are being undertaken at a massive scale since the past couple of years. Expressing his gratitude towards the Union Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs for the latter’s liberal extension of helping hands towards the State’s government’s ambitious plans for redevelopment and modernization projects across Guwahati, the Chief Minister said urbanization planning in Guwahati required crossing numerous barriers as there is very little scope of expansion of the city’s geographical expanse owing to natural barriers such as rivers, hills, reserve forests, water bodies, etc.
Referring to the massive public infrastructure development and redevelopment projects that were launched in the past couple of years, Chief Minister Dr. Sarma exuded confidence once these initiatives become operational, Guwahati shall be crossing new milestones in many directions.
He referred to the Government of Assam’s tie-up with Singaporean consultancy firm Surbana Jurong for development of Guwahati, stressing on the need for proper urban panning in the current era when every urban centre is witnessing a trend of population explosion.
Chief Minister Dr. Sarma called upon policymakers to take into consideration the peculiar topography and geographical constraints of the North-Eastern parts of the country while formulating urban planning and development policies. He stressed upon the need to depart from the often-practised “one size fits all” philosophy while formulating policies for the nation, as what is workable in one region may not provide fruitful results in another. He expressed hope while formulating national policies, policymakers would consider drawing “regional and sub-regional policies” too.
Apart from delegates from States of the Northeast, Assam Housing & Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singhal, Chairman of the High-Level Committee of the Union Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs Keshav Verma, Urban Planning Expert Professor PSN Rao, Commissioner & Secretary of DoHUA Kavita Padmanabhan were present.
