Soon, Gujarat is set to follow India’s sixth largest city, Hyderabad's, example by extending facilities to the neighbouring Secunderabad and developing it as a twin city.
Looking at the growing trend of cities coming closer to each other day by day, the state government too is mulling on forming a twin city development policy for the state's cities like Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar, Anand-Nadiyad, Bharuch-Ankleshwar, among many others.
“The state government has chosen Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar, Surat-Navsari, Halol-Kalol, Morbi-Wankaner, Surendranagar-Wadhwan, Bharuch-Ankleshwar and Nadiyad-Anand for developing as the twin cities. The physical and viability study for Surat-Navsari twin city development plan has already been conducted and approved by state government," informed the highly placed sources in the state government.
The sources added that the government has formed a committee comprising Surat municipal commissioner as chairperson, CEO of Surat Urban Development Authority (SUDA), CEO of Hazira notified industrial area, representative of South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce, representative of GIDC and Navsari municipality. The committee conducted various meetings regarding the implementation of the twin city development plan and its early implementation.
The state government is yet to take formal decision on development strategy for Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar as twin city. However, according to sources, it will be decided soon.
The government has already initiated various studies for development plans of cities like Halol-Kalol, Morbi-Wankaner, Surendranagar-Wadhwan, Bharuch-Ankleshwar and Nadiyad-Anand. Rs2 crore has been granted for these studies with an objective to identify linkages or interdependencies between the pair of cities, to enhance the capacity of urban local bodies through strategy, sustainable economic growth and integrated town planning.
Also, enhancing the social and environmental climate of these cities through effective strategic planning, improvement of service delivery, capital investment programming and to suggest development project beneficial are on priority bases.
Sources further said that the studies initiated will include 'strength, weakness, opportunity and threat' (SWOT) analysis to formulate the integrated growth management plan, infrastructure investment plan, financial and operating plan, institutional and legal management and reforms plan, besides marketing plan.
Other issues like the present and future land use plan, traffic and transportation pattern and future needs, environmental issues, sanitation and other infrastructure will also be addressed. "The government may include more cities in the near future," the sources added.
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