Mahender Singh Thakur, Urban Development and Town and Country Planning Minister disclosed here today that a Development Plan for Shimla Plan area had been prepared to ensure systematic development of Shimla town and adjoining areas.
Minister said that bypass, tunnel, bus terminal and parking would be constructed on need basis besides escalators and pedestrian paths in Shimla and surrounding areas. He said that a proposal to construct truck terminal, ropeway and over-bridge to regulate the traffic was also under consideration. Another ambitious plan to develop satellite towns in Vaknaghat, Ghandal and Fagu had been prepared.
Town and Country Planning Minister said that in order to ensure balanced development, Shimla town had been divided into Core, Restricted, Green, Heritage and other zones and added that building construction rules had been simplified. He said that the State Government was making amendments in the building construction rules in the green areas of Shimla in order to facilitate the land owners.
Minister said that single window system had been adopted for passing building maps in the limits of MC Shimla so as to facilitate the people and added that the rules had also been simplified to avoid any inconvenience to them. He said that private architects have been empowered under Town and Country Planning Act, 1977 to pass the building maps in Other Plan Area and Special Areas. He said that exemption had been given to construct houses upto three storeys under some laid down rules in the areas outside the limits of town and Rural Plan Area and Special Areas.
The Minister said that construction of rain harvesting tanks had been made mandatory in every building and added that Solar Passive Rules have also been implemented to develop Shimla town as ‘Energy Town’.
