The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) board on Tuesday approved formation of a new municipal circle in the city, which would be called Patliputra circle.

The new circle would comprise of five gram panchayats - among them Digha, Kurji (including Patliputra Colony) and Mainpura - that were recently included in the PMC. The PMC's empowered standing committee had on August 16 approved preliminary proposal for formation of Patliputra circle.

The office of the state water board near Pani Tanki Mor on Boring Road would serve as the office of the proposed new circle. Apart from the newly included gram panchayats, the Patliputra circle would include 13 existing wards of the New Capital circle. The 16 wards left after carving out 13 wards would form the revised new New Capital circle.

The board decided to release around Rs 38 crore for construction of paved roads and drains in the city under the chief minister's seven resolves. It also decided to construct more houses under the Rajiv Awas Yojana in PMC areas.

The ward councillors also raised water supply, drainage and waste management issues. "It gave consent for bifurcation of New Capital Circle for formation of Patliputra circle," mayor Afzal Imam told The Telegraph. "Several suggestions were made for appointment of staff and mobilisation of other resources for the new circle. As far as seven resolves are concerned, pucca roads and drains would be built in areas identified for the same during the recent infrastructure survey."

A senior PMC official said the process of transferring assets to PMC and other formalities have not been completed. "The urban development department is yet to issue notification for inclusion of Patliputra Colony and neighbouring gram panchayats in PMC. We expect such formalities to be completed after today's decision," he said.

The meeting was also supposed to deliberate on Patna's solid waste management, but mayor Imam said it could not be held because of unforeseen reasons.

Funds to the tune of Rs 23.09 crore were sanctioned under the centrally-sponsored Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for solid waste management in Patna in January 2008. But except for purchase of some small sanitation equipment and commencement of door-to-door waste collection in 12 wards, rest of the funds are lying unused.