JAIPUR: A number of retired town planners and former JDA officials are vehemently opposing the civic body’s resolution to double its jurisdiction in the next 25 years. They advocate for establishment of a new authority like JDA for urban local bodies adjoining Jaipur to maintain the right balance.
Chandra Sekhar Parashar, a retired additional chief town planner of Rajasthan, said JDA officials have not undertaken any scientific study to propose the extension of territory. The decision will disrupt the equilibrium of the region’s urban and rural areas, he said.
“JDA is an urban authority. Its jurisdiction shall comprise urban and rurban areas (mixed-use areas on the edge of towns or cities). However, unplanned extension like this proposal would squander the region’s fertile lands,” said Parashar.
UDH officials, however, countered this assertion, saying a “comprehensive study” of areas under a 100-km perimeter around Jaipur was conducted before determining the proposed extended territory. The study scrutinised crucial factors driving the region’s economic activities, they said.
“Incorporating these new areas will facilitate rapid development as UDH gets much more funds allocated compared to rural and panchayati raj departments. The population of these areas is projected to rise exponentially in the next 25 years as more people would migrate to the state capital and nearby areas,” said a JDA official.
AK Gupta, a former chief town planner of Rajasthan and retired director (planning) of JDA, called the decision for area extension “illogical and preposterous”. He said all metro cities in the country have at least ten administrative bodies to cover the city and the adjoining areas.
“JDA cannot manage its present jurisdiction properly. How will it control an area double its present size? To me, the sole rationale behind this step is to ensure funds JDA or UDH department get are utilised in more rural areas. Other villages of the region will soon make the same demand,” Gupta said.
The retired officials also said JDA failed to implement the Satellite Town and Gross Centres Policy within the plan period of Sept 6, 2011, to Sept 6, 2025, for ten towns adjacent to Jaipur. They said JDA should have prioritised converting the towns of Aanchrol, Bagru Bassi, Bhanpurkala, Chomu, Jahota, Jamwa Ramgarh, Kalwar, Kanota, Kukas, Vatika, Vagwara, Chonp, Pachar, Shivdaspura and Chandlai into satellite townships in the next masterplan rather than focusing on extending jurisdiction.
“Even a Master Plan till 2047 is an ambiguous proposition. Considering the rapid pace of present-world development, civic bodies now formulate Master Plans for 10-15 years. Drafting a masterplan for 2047 in 2025 is imprudent,” said Parashar.
