Chennai: The union government’s one of the ‘ambitious’ urban development scheme, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (Amrut), has suffered another setback as the state government yet to receive funds to conduct Geographic Information System (GIS) based survey in scheme cities and prepare master plans.
According to an insider in the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP), which has been appointed as the nodal agency to carry out the mission in Tamil Nadu, the preparations of GIS-based master plans have suffered due to the fund crunch.
The union government had selected 32 towns to be refurbished under the Amrut mission. The state government has directed DTCP to carry out the project at 17 of 32 towns during the first phase.
Following the direction, the DTCP had recently invited private consultancies to draft GIS-based master plans for Nagapattinam (with Velankanni), Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, Dindugal, Karaikudi, Rajapalayam, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Ambur, Salem, Tanjore, Pudukottai, Kumbakonam, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Rameswaram and Thoothukudi.
“Central government has entailed providing '75 lakh for each city to draft master plans. However, the central government has not yet released funds,” a DTCP official said.
It is also learnt that the DTCP had recently floated tenders inviting private consultants to prepare GIS-based master plans. Under the first phase, 17 cities are tabled into 5 packages, said the official.
Although many consultants expressed interests to carry out the survey and draft the master plans, the bids have been rejected as they lacked requisite expertise. “Only one package containing Thoothukudi, Nagercoil, Rameswaram and Tirunelveli has been awarded to a consultant. Fresh bids will be called for remaining 4 packages within a few days,” the official added.
According to the conditions set forth by Amrut guidelines, one package ought to be awarded to one consultant, the official explained. “Selected consultant will have to give suggestions in preparing master plan 2035. The master plans will be made using high-resolution remote sensing satellite data and it will take heritage and cultural structures into account. According to central government guidelines, Amrut mission should be completed in 4 years,” the official said.
