GTA plan for growth of towns

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, July 8: The GTA Sabha has decided to come up with a “vision document” for the four hill municipalities of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik to ensure the towns’ planned development.

P.T. Ola, the GTA member in-charge of municipality affairs, today held a meeting with officials of the four civic bodies here today. “We have decided to prepare a vision document for the municipalities to ensure planned development in the hills. Each municipality has been asked to form town planning cells involving various stakeholders within one month,” said Ola.

The cells have been asked to concentrate on basic issues like traffic congestion, beautification of the municipality area, streamlining of sewerage system and identification of old buildings for their restoration. “Each of the cells will come up with detailed project reports which will be sent to the Centre to get funds under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission,” said Ola. He said the cells would be asked to look at the possibility of setting up satellite townships in the hills.

In another move, the GTA decided to confer a Lifetime Achievement Award on Nepali author Indra Bahadur Rai on the occasion of the 200th birth anniversary of Nepali poet, Bhanubhakta Acharya on July 13.