Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 3: Keeping in view the delay caused by the revision of Master Plan, the Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey today fixed a deadline of February first week for the RITES Ltd, a Government of India Enterprise, to complete the Comprehensive Mobility Plan for the Jammu. The CMPs for both the Capital cities are aimed at improving traffic scenario by setting up Mass and Rapid Transport System.
The exercise for preparing Comprehensive Mobility Plans for Jammu as well as Srinagar was initiated early last year and RITES Ltd, which is a consultancy organization in the field of transport, infrastructure and related technologies, was engaged for the purpose.
RITES Ltd prepared the draft plans by November last year and even made presentation before the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah. However, exercise had to be extended keeping in view the revision in the Master Plans for both Jammu and Srinagar.
The draft Comprehensive Mobility Plan for Jammu was prepared on the basis of existing Master Plan, where under the area of Jammu has been shown as 288 Square Kilometers. However, under the revised Master Plan the area has shown extended to 645 Square Kilometers thereby necessitating the RITES to carry out surveys for the additional areas, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey, who was discussing the proposed Comprehensive Mobility Plan for Srinagar, which has already been prepared in the light of revised Master Plan, in a meeting at Civil Secretariat this afternoon, directed RITES Ltd to complete the proposed Mobility Plan for Jammu by carrying out requisite additional exercise by first week of February 2014, sources said. While formulating Plan existing traffic and travel patterns, existing infrastructure and road space besides transport and infrastructural demand forecast are being studied, sources added.
“Soon after RITES Ltd carries out requisite exercise in respect of Jammu, the Mobility Plans of both the capital cities will be placed before the State Cabinet for discussion and approval and thereafter the sector wise Detailed Project Reports will be prepared and submitted to Government of India for funding under multiple channels”, they said.
It is pertinent to mention here that Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, during the Annual Plan presentation in the Planning Commission, had already conveyed that the stage was set for setting up of Mass and Rapid Transport System in the two capitals under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Mode and Central Government’s generous support would be required.
According to the sources, under the City Mobility Plans focus is being laid on road widening, improvement in the mass public transport system through new standard and mini-bus fleets, mono-rails and computer rail services, urban planning and design, re-configuring of existing, radial road pattern into ring and radial pattern, creating of bye-passes, adding road capacity at bottlenecks and junction improvement etc.
Under the plans, institutions like Municipal Corporations, Development Authorities, Police Department, Town Planning would be strengthened and Transport Planning Units, Traffic Engineering Cells etc would be established.
In the meeting, Chief Secretary observed that Mobility Plan for Srinagar involves the Master Plan area of 757 Square Kilometer including Srinagar, Ganderbal, Budgam, Pampore, Khrew and 346 village settlements. He was apprised that the recommendations will address the passenger and freight mobility requirements for next 20 to 25 years keeping in view the future population and growth.
The presentation was made by General Manager RITES, Y P Sachdev.
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