Bhubaneswar, April 8: The housing and urban development department has planned to invest Rs 50 crore for upgrading Bapuji Nagar’s infrastructure.

Predictably, residents of the oldest colony in the city are excited about it.

The department will submit a detailed project report to the Union urban development ministry by April 15 to get funds for construction of wider roads and footpaths, decorative streetlights, designated parking lots, amusement parks, well-equipped community centres, covered storm water drains, sewerage projects and utilities such as modern public toilets that are seen in metro cities.

The project report will be prepared by the Bhubaneswar Development Authority. Funds will be available for the project under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission only after approval by the Union urban development ministry.

The Bhubaneswar Development Authority and the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation will jointly take up the project.

Municipal commissioner Sanjib Kumar Mishra said: “Bapuji Nagar, which was established in 1957, is the oldest residential colony in the area. But, a drastic change in the land use pattern from residential to commercial has caused several hardships for the civic administration. The new development plan will cover the entire area.”

Bibhuti Mishra, secretary of the Senior Citizens’ Association, Bapuji Nagar, was happy to hear about the state government’s plan.

“The municipal corporation had earlier taken steps to create parking space by removing encroachment. But, the area needs a comprehensive plan for overall development,” he said.

An official of the government’s town planning directorate said: “The development plan will provide the residents of Bapuji Nagar with some breathing space because there has been a lot of unplanned growth in the locality.”

Subhranshu Rath, general secretary of the Confederation of the Citizens’ Associations of Bhubaneswar, said: “It is good to know that a proposal has come up for development of Bapuji Nagar. But, the government should also think of providing proper infrastructure to other over-populated localities.”