CHENNAI: Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority is eyeing to be on a par with global urban development authorities and is seeking to hire a consultant who can come out with a road map after conducting an extensive study on various fronts, according to official sources.
A highly placed official said CMDA is planning to engage a consultant to extend beyond its current mandate of land-use master planning and approving planning permissions and transform itself into a premier and modern planning authority.
The mandate for the consultant is to develop an overall long term strategic roadmap to achieve the vision and identify the nature and extent of institutional strengthening required at CMDA to execute the roadmap.
The focus would also be to strengthen revenue resources and financial restructuring of CMDA for future activities and new projects.
The consultant will undertake a global benchmark through a study of five urban development authorities both national and international. A charter of CMDA will be developed based on the vision, mission and requirements for operationalising the roadmap for short, medium and long term.
Sources said the study on ‘Strategic Institutional Strengthening Assessment and Action Plan for CMDA’ is part of Tamil Nadu Housing and Habitat Development Project (TNHHDP) funded by World Bank. Interestingly, under the project, the grant is also for the preparation of the masterplan for Chennai. A total of US$9 million for CMDA, up to financial year 2023-24 has been approved by the World Bank as part of the project for CMDA, a source said. “We have already floated a request for Expression of Interest and the last date was March 1,” said the official.