The Assam government on Thursday approved the Draft Guwahati Central Area Local Area Plan (LAP) within the Guwahati Metropolitan Area for publication inviting public objections and suggestions.
The proposed LAP aims to make provisions for redevelopment and upgrade infrastructure facilities, open spaces, ensure better connectivity to each plot and optimum utilisation of urban land in Guwahati.
The cabinet approved the notification of the Assam State Township Policy, 2023 for implementation across the state for ensuring systematic and planned urban development in the state. The policy will regulate and guide the growth of urban areas in a systematic and organised manner, thereby cutting down on haphazard growth and exploitation of resources.
It will ensure that essential services such as roads, drains, healthcare facilities, etc, are adequately planned, funded, and implemented through private capital investment.
It will also address the need for affordable housing within the townships, with provisions for regulation and incentivisation of affordable housing. To redevelop peri urban areas, Draft Development Scheme {also meaning Town Planning Scheme (TPS)} within the Guwahati Metropolitan Area approved for publication inviting public objections and suggestions. TPS is a comprehensive plan for development of a particular area within the framework of the Master Plan or planning area. The planning process consists of merger and redistribution of land parcels in urban expansion zone as greenfield development.
The cabinet has also decided to ensure proper balance between written examination and viva-voce test, interview test/viva-voce marks for the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) conducted by Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) to be scaled down from the existing 275 (18.33%) to 180 (12% of total written examination marks).
The decision is in compliance with MP Bezbaruah Committee (2015) and Supreme Court judgement in Ashok Kumar Yadav and Others etc vs State of Haryana and others case.
