Amritsar, Dec 7 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister AmarinderSingh today released his Congress party's vision document forthe state's urban development, focussing on improvement ininfrastructure, fire-fighting system upgradation, water andsewage management, parking management and e-governance.
The policy document, drafted keeping in mind theurbanisation trends and major civic-infrastructural issues,focuses on planned investments in urban local bodies toimprove the living conditions in urban areas.
In the short term, the party has listed out installationof LED streetlights and fire fighting system at the top of theagenda, according to a party statement.
Another thrust area is collection and transportation ofsolid waste with smart infrastructure in the cities, for whichthe party wants to promote Smart Waste Collection System,where waste containers are replaced by underground or semi-underground waste collection containers/ bins.
The party also proposed in the vision document toimplement online building plan approval system in all themunicipal bodies of Punjab.
The vision document cites 50 per cent reservation forwomen in municipal elections as a step towards strengtheningthe urban local bodies through women empowerment.
It proposes overhauling of the Punjab Municipal OutdoorAdvertisement Policy-2012 with a dynamic pricing module andtransparent bidding system to ensure improved safety ofcitizens and better transparency.
Considering the gravity of the parking problems in urbanareas, the Congress proposes to adopt and implementappropriate policy along with comprehensive parking measuresto promote sustainable transportation strategies anddiscourage growing dependence on personal motor vehicles.
Towards the realisation of its long-term vision for theurban areas, the party proposes to bring about 100 per centcoverage of water supply, sewerage and STP, with all sewagetreatment plants to be upgraded to the latest technology tomeet with the latest norms.
It has also proposed to ensure 24x7 surface water supplyin Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Patiala.
Senior Congress leaders including state unit presidentSunil Jakhar and minister Navjot Singh Sidhu were also presentat the release of the vision document. PTI SUNSMN.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.