Patna, Feb. 8: The state will soon have its maiden town- and country-planning act to ensure planned development in both urban and semi-urban areas. The state urban development department today sent the final draft of the state town- and country-planning bill to the state cabinet.

The bill envisages land utilisation and constitution of administrative framework for regulating the development of areas to be notified under the aegis of this bill. After a review by the cabinet, the bill would be presented before the Assembly in the upcoming budget session.

After the bill is enacted, the state government would be able to make development plans for different regions and regional development authorities would be created for the execution of the proposed act.

“We have finalised the draft of state town- and country-planning bill and it has been sent to the state cabinet today. The bill is a comprehensive legal document spread over 200 pages. It has been meticulously drafted by the department. Once the state government gives its in-principal approval, we will upload the bill on our website for seeking modifications/suggestions from citizens,” said a senior official of the urban development department.

The officer added that the bill envisages dividing areas into zones. “The bill envisages plans for the future development of respective zones and creation of respective development authorities such as district development authority, regional development authority and metropolitan development authority for implementation of the plans. The bill also prescribes for land utilisation norms across different zones. But such a process can only be undertaken after the planning area is notified by the proposed town- and country-planning act,” said the urban development department official.

The department officials said the draft of a development plan for the state capital was in the final stage. “Once the cabinet gives the in-principle approval to the town- and country- planning bill, the department would upload the new master plan for Patna on its official website seeking suggestions from citizens,” said another urban development department official.

The earlier master plan for Patna (1981-2001) expired in 2001. Since then, there were no guidelines to regulate the urban growth.

Subsequently, the urban development department entrusted the task of conducting survey and providing technical assistance for the preparation of the draft master plan for Patna metropolitan region to the Centre for Environment Planning and Technology, University, Ahmedabad. According to sources, the proposed master plan envisages the Patna Metropolitan region to be spread over 2,052sqkm covering Patna, Saran and Vaishali.