TN sets up 18 member state high level committee to draft state urban development policy

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
Tamil Nadu government has set up a 18-member state high level committee chaired by Chief secretary for drafting the state urban development policy.

The policy will cover vision, strategy for spatial development, legislative framework, institutional strengthening, inter departmental coordination, urban planning capacity and other related aspects of urban development.

Of these 18 members, 10 are from the state government and rest eight are experts from various institutions like National Institute of Urban Affairs, National Institute of Technology, Trichy, IIT Chennai, School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, Anna University, Madras Institute of Development studies, former planner from Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority and a former Hudco official.

The state high level committee was formed after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman announced that a high-level committee of reputed urban planners, urban economists and institutions will be formed to make recommendations on urban sector policies, capacity building, implementation and governance.

It is learnt that the Centre has already formed a 10-member core committee chaired by Keshav Varma, a former sector director of World Bank and former chairman of Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation in Ahmedabad. The core committee is assisted by a team of six member experts.

The state high level committee will undertake state specific studies which shall be funded under 'Technical sub-mission component of the Atal mission for rejuvenation and Urban transformation (AMRUT) 2.0 Scheme.

The Union Finance Minister has stressed during the budget to reimagine cities into centres of sustainable living with opportunities for all, including women and youth. For this to happen, urban planning cannot continue with a business as usual approach.