Cities, towns experiencing transformational urbanism: Lt Governor

Srinagar, Dec 14: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Wednesday laid the foundation stone of Srinagar Development Authority’s Satellite Township at Rakh Gund Aksha & a Housing Colony at Bemina, Srinagar.
Congratulating the SDA officials for developing first of its kind satellite township in Kashmir division, the Lt Governor said the new initiative is aimed to decongest the city and to meet the needs of affordable homes for growing population.
The housing colony ‘Shehjar Heights’ is a symbol of aspiration of the middle class. The two projects will not only provide quality and valuable space for families but also become the driver of economic development and unlock the potential of local economies, he added.
The Lt Governor emphasized on accelerating the speed and scale of the development to meet the requirements of the increasing population. He directed the H&UDD to conduct periodic review of the projects to ensure that these projects are completed within the timeframe.
The township shall be self-contained with building infrastructure for businesses, offices, commercial & institutional buildings, hotels and other facilities designed to make living and working comfortable, added the Lt Governor.
It is pertinent to mention that a Medicity and a new High Court Complex are coming up adjacent to the township that will make the whole area another bustling centre of activity in the vicinity of Srinagar. The Township will also have clusters of planned housing with neighbourhood level health and education facilities. “Shehjar Heights” Housing Colony at Bemina will have peripheral road network with pavements, club house with swimming pool and gymnasium, community hall, shopping mall.
Highlighting the efforts of the government to rejuvenate the urban landscape in the UT, the Lt Governor said, cities and towns of J&K are experiencing a transformational urbanism that has been achieved through excellence in infrastructure planning and execution and stimulated local development.
The ongoing transformation in Srinagar, Jammu and their neighbouring towns is the harbinger of sustainable development, the Lt Governor said.
Observing that Housing is the most important component of city’s development and also defines the culture of that city, the Lt Governor stressed that infrastructure being developed must reflect our cities’ aesthetic and cultural values.
Satellite townships & housing colonies will accelerate economic activities in J&K, supplement our efforts to overcome challenges of urbanization and provide better housing facilities to the people. It will also generate large-scale skilled & unskilled employment, he added.
Seamless service delivery, housing and infrastructure development as per people’s needs should be a major component of the master plan. We also need to change our approach and special attention should be paid to fulfil needs of the citizens living in towns, the Lt Governor noted.
The Lt Governor also called upon the elected public representatives and common citizens to play their important role in the successful conduct of G20 presidency events. He also sought suggestions from them to make the visit of delegates and people coming from across the world memorable.
Junaid Azim Mattu, Mayor SMC and Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary also spoke on the occasion and underscored the need to develop satellite townships and housing colonies to meet the growing housing requirements of the urban population.
Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary to the Government, Housing & Urban Development Department, briefed on the newly launched housing projects.
Aftab Malik, DDC Chairperson Srinagar; Pandurang K Pole, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir; Mohammad Aijaz, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar; Athar Aamir Khan, Commissioner SMC; Dr Haris Ahmad Handoo, VC Srinagar Development Authority and other senior officers from Banks, Police and Civil Administration were also present on the occasion at Kashmir Convention Centre.