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Govt Plans to Develop Townships for MIG, HIG People

2024-12-10

The state government has decided to establish separate townships with high-quality infrastructure aimed at providing relief to middle-income group (MIG) and high-income group (HIG) residents in urban areas. Urban development authorities have been instructed to identify suitable land and prepare layouts for these townships across the state. Joint collectors have also been tasked with studying housing construction models in other states to develop a blueprint for these projects. The first phase will see housing projects initiated by the urban development authorities of Kurnool, Ananthapuram-Hindupuram, and Kadapa.

Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister P Narayana reviewed Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's proposal to develop townships with chairpersons of urban development authorities (UDAs), municipal commissioners, and joint collectors. He instructed the joint collectors of Kurnool, Kadapa, Ananthapuram, and Sri Satyasai districts to identify land for the township projects.

"The Chief Minister wants urban development authorities to complete layouts and infrastructure development before beginning housing projects. Local urban bodies should take the lead in providing essential infrastructure, such as roads, water supply, electricity, and drainage systems. The development of MIG and HIG townships near urban areas will not only address housing issues but also promote growth. UDAs could also generate income from these projects, making them self-sustainable," Narayana explained.

The Minister also asked joint collectors and UDA heads to study best practices in other states for such housing projects. He emphasized that municipal commissioners should focus on water supply, garbage management, drainage systems, and street lighting. "Maintaining parks and creating recreational infrastructure should be priorities for urban civic bodies. Since the state cannot spend heavily on infrastructure creation, UDAs and civic bodies must adopt innovative methods to become self-sustainable and execute these projects," Narayana added.

To strengthen the process, the government has appointed joint collectors as vice-chairpersons and managing directors of respective UDAs. Town Planning Director Vidyullatha will act as the nodal officer for these new projects.