Bhubaneswar, Feb. 4: The Odisha government will constitute Capital Regional Development Authority by bringing together Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and nearby areas.

Hyderabad-based Administrative Staff College of India has been entrusted with the responsibility of preparing a draft for this purpose, official sources said.

The decision to set up Capital Regional Development Authority has been taken following a suggestion made by IIT, Kharagpur, in the comprehensive development plan (CDP) prepared by the institute.

This will enable creation of a single body like other metropolitan development authorities.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today instructed the officials to expedite the process at a meeting held to review the implementation of the comprehensive development plan.

A consultant will be engaged to define the territorial limits of the proposed authority. At present, around 1,700sq km area falls under the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and Cuttack Development Authority (CDA).

After delineation of territorial limits of the proposed authority, a metropolitan development plan will be prepared. The chief minister also directed the officials to set up a single window system for effective development of the region.

Bhubaneswar Development Authority has already worked out a MoU with National Institute of Urban Affairs to provide necessary technical support with reference to best practices followed in different cities of the country.

It has also been decided to set up Urban Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) to coordinate all transport planning issues. There will be two to three working groups under the authority to review and monitor the progress of work.

A 14-km-stretch will be taken up under bus rapid transport system (BRTS) of the state budget in the first phase. Under the project, a major road corridor between Nandankanan and the city airport will be developed and high-speed buses will ply on the route.

Other decisions taken in the meeting include, a number of road projects that had been identified for development. Construction of a ring road around the capital city will also be taken up on Surat model.

About 100 acres has been identified in the city for implementation of affordable housing projects, official sources said.

In order to protect government land from encroachment, a cental enforcement monitoring committee has been constituted.

Bhubaneswar Development Authority and Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation have been entrusted with the job of constructing a boundary wall around the vacant government land.<-3.000>

It was also decided to strengthen riverside embankments. Encroachments would be cleared from all the nine natural drainage channels before monsoon to prevent flooding. All the brick kilns would be removed from the riverside areas.