Assembly Clears Path: UP Establishes Its State Capital Region

2024-08-01 04:52:56

LUCKNOW: The UP Assembly on Wednesday passed the Uttar Pradesh State Capital Region and Other Areas Development Authority Bill, 2024, aiming to drive development in and around Lucknow, similar to the National Capital Region around New Delhi.

This Bill comes four months after the state government issued an ordinance to address imbalanced growth and foster coordinated development in urban centers. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna tabled the Bill on behalf of CM Yogi Adityanath. The legislation proposes the creation of an authority to ensure balanced and rapid development in and around Lucknow. It also grants the government the power to "rename any of the regions" within the authority's scope.

Although the government has yet to specify the exact area of the SCR, officials anticipate that at least six districts—Lucknow, Hardoi, Sitapur, Unnao, Rae Bareli, and Barabanki—covering an area of just over 27,000 sq km, will fall under the SCR authority's jurisdiction. Lucknow will serve as the SCR headquarters, with other regional headquarters to be notified as needed.

The CM will chair the authority, while the chief secretary will act as its vice-chairperson. The authority's members will include representatives from various departments, including housing, finance, law, revenue, planning, urban development, industry, Namami Gange, PWD, tourism, rural development, panchayati raj, agriculture, irrigation, and transport. Divisional commissioners, DMs of the districts within the SCR, vice-chairpersons of respective development authorities, UP Metro Rail Corporation officials, and representatives from the defense and railway ministries will also be members. Additionally, the state government will appoint a CEO for the authority, who will be an officer of at least the rank of a principal secretary.

The authority's mandate is to develop the region according to the regional plan, coordinating with respective development authorities, municipal corporations, gram panchayats, and other departments. The Bill ensures that government or private developers' projects align with regional plans. The authority will also secure funding from various revenue sources to drive development projects in the region.

The Bill highlights "urbanization" as a key driver of economic development, citing cities like Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur, and Meerut, which have experienced rapid development and swift urban transformation. This necessitates planned regional development, emphasizing the importance of regional planning and development.