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Time of India
16-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
State govt to carry out feasibility studies for satellite towns around Jaipur
1 2 Jaipur: Following a Budget announcement, the state govt is in the process of carrying out feasibility studies to develop satellite towns, said urban development and housing Minister Jhabar Singh Kharra. "We are in talks with a multinational company to construct satellite towns around Jaipur city. We expect to complete the feasibility within the next few months," Kharra said. According to senior UDH department officials, in line with Gujarat International Finance Tech (GIFT) City and the Hyderabad Information Technology and Engineering Consultancy (HITEC) City, the state govt wants to develop these townships as hi-tech cities. The govt has zeroed in on small towns like Bassi, Bagru, Chomu, and Kotputli to develop them into satellite towns. "During the state budget of 2024-25 – the first budget of the present BJP govt – the state govt announced the concept of building the satellite townships. In fact, to facilitate the construction of satellite towns, the govt brought a few changes in the township policy, incorporating suitable policies already implemented by the neighbouring states," an official said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [속보]'한 달만에 5cm 성장!?' 2개월치 무료증정 압도적 키성장 1위! 아이클타임 더 알아보기 Undo Kharra added that once the govt decides on the location and plans for these satellite townships, fresh feasibility reports would be prepared to analyse the transport connectivity for such towns. "There are plans to connect the proposed towns – those that would be located within a radius of 20-40 km – with the metro. However, we would take the final decision only after the feasibility reports are prepared," added Kharra. Kharra said, the plan to extend the metro from Badi Chaupad to Transport Nagar has not been principally rejected. The Jaipur Metro Railway Corporation has appointed an agency to carry out a survey on the prospects of this metro extension. "The proposed extension between Badi Chaupad and Transport Nagar has a major glitch. The proposed stations are too close to each other. We are conducting a survey on whether the stretch would be feasible even after revising the locations of the proposed stations. Or, instead, a new stretch to Galta Ji Temple from Badi Chaupad – through the Hawa Mahal Road – would be more feasible," the minister added. Times View: The proposal to build a satellite town near Jaipur, as outlined in the Jaipur Development Authority's Master Plan 2025, is a promising initiative. However, the state government must prioritise enhancing infrastructure across Urban Local Bodies statewide. Establishing robust road connectivity between proposed satellite towns, such as Chomu, and major cities like Jaipur is crucial. Without these foundational improvements, the satellite town's potential benefits may remain unrealised, hindering regional development and integration efforts.
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Experts criticise delay in implementing Master Plan 2047
Jaipur: Multiple retired officials from Urban Development and Housing (UDH) department and Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) have expressed dissatisfaction with the state govt's handling of Master Plan 2047. These officials assert that the govt ought to have already put the Master Plan into effect and JDA should be proceeding with new provisions, particularly documentation for jurisdictional expansion. "I feel that the state govt should have executed the new Master Plan by now. The govt missed deadlines five times by appointing different types of consultancy agencies to prepare the master plan. As precious time is getting wasted, the apprehension is whether JDA would be able to complete all proposed provisions incorporated in the new master plan within 2047?" questioned Chandra Sekhar Parashar, retired additional chief town planner of UDH Department. Officials of UDH department retaliated against this claim, stating that the implementation of the Master Plan 2047 is at its final stage and awaiting final approval from the cabinet. They claimed the plan should be implemented by Sept 6, 2025, and there is still time left to meet the deadline. "Even if we miss the Sept deadline, we feel we won't waste much time implementing this master plan. Such master plans require a comprehensive study and opinions, criticisms, and suggestions from experts and residents from different sections of society. We examined various crucial factors driving the region's economic activities and sought suggestions from different sections of people before finalising the draft. Most of these initiatives were taken before the assembly polls of 2023," said a UDH department official. Earlier, a section of retired town planners and former officials of the JDA vehemently criticised the civic body's decision to double its jurisdiction in the next 25 years. Instead, these retired officials wanted the state govt to develop new authority or urban local bodies for added areas adjacent to Jaipur city. "Incorporating areas under UDH aims to facilitate development, as UDH possesses substantially superior funding allocations compared to rural and panchayati raj departments. The population in these regions is projected to increase exponentially in the next 25 years, as more people would migrate towards the state capital," another UDH official opposed.
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Raj urban body polls delayed, to be held in Dec, says min Kharra
1 2 3 4 5 6 Jaipur: Rajasthan's much-anticipated urban local body (ULB) elections under the 'One State, One Election' (OSOE) plan, initially expected around Oct–Nov, are now likely to be held in Dec. This was confirmed by urban development and housing (UDH) minister Jhabar Singh Kharra Tuesday. Speaking to TOI, Kharra said the ongoing delimitation of municipal wards would conclude by the end of July. The state govt will then write to the State Election Commission in the first week of Aug to start updating the electoral rolls. "The commission is expected to finalise the voters' list by Oct, and elections will be held either in a single phase or multiple phases, depending on logistical convenience," Kharra said.
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
62 transferred, including 11 collectors, in Raj IAS rejig
Jaipur: In a long-overdue bureaucratic reshuffle in Rajasthan, the Bhajan Lal Sharma govt transferred 62 IAS officers, including 11 district collectors, on Sunday night. The most significant among the transfers were that of additional chief secretary (finance) Akhil Arora, who was in charge of the portfolio since the previous Congress govt; and ACS (home) Anand Kumar, who was also helming the home department since the Gehlot govt. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Vaibhav Galriya, heading the urban development and housing (UDH) as the principal secretary, will replace Arora as the principal secretary of finance, excise, and taxation departments. Arora has been appointed ACS of the public health engineering department (PHED). Bhaskar Atmaram Sawant, who is in charge of the public health engineering department (PHED), will replace Kumar who has been transferred to the department of forest, environment, and climate change in the same capacity. ACS Aparna Arora, who was in charge of forest and environment, has been moved to the department of social justice and empowerment. Govt also transferred Ajitabh Sharma, principal secretary in charge of industries and MSME, under whose watch the 'Rising Rajasthan' investment summit was organised, to the energy department. Principal secretary to CM, Alok Gupta, has been given additional charge of industries and MSME. ACS to chief minister, Shikhar Agrawal, meanwhile, has been given additional charge of RIICO. On the list of transfers, the govt has appointed Debashish Prusty as principal secretary of the UDH department, while JMC-Greater commissioner Rukmini Riyar, who has been appointed commissioner tourism, will be replaced by Gaurav Saini. JMC-Heritage commissioner Arun Hasija has been transferred to Rajsamand as district collector. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now An officer of the 2018 batch, Nidhi Patel, who was awaiting posting order, has been appointed JMC-Heritage commissioner and CEO, Jaipur Smart City. While Sandeep Verma, chairman and MD of the Rajasthan State Warehousing Corporation, has been appointed ACS skills & entrepreneurship and employment department, ACS Kuldeep Ranka has been transferred to the higher and technical education department. Rajasthan's senior-most civil servant, 1988 batch Subodh Agarwal, has been moved to the Rajasthan Financial Corporation as chairman and MD from the Indira Gandhi Panchayati Raj Sansthan, where he was serving as director. Kunji Lal Meena, chairman of the Indira Gandhi Nahar Board, has been appointed ACS, tribal area development department, and Rajesh Yadav, principal secretary of the LSG department, has been transferred to department of tourism, art, literature, and culture.
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
JDA to provide subsidised housing plots to Pakistani refugees
J aipur: The Rajasthan govt has announced plans to allocate approximately 160 residential plots at a 50% subsidy to Pakistani refugees who have been granted Indian citizenship. The plots will be located in the Chitrakoot, Sanganer and Mansarovar areas of Jaipur. JDA's additional commissioner Rakesh Sharma confirmed that the allocation will be conducted according to the Allotment and Sale of Plots Rules, 1972. "We have identified plots in Zones 8, 12 and 14 for this purpose, and the allotment process will begin soon," Sharma stated. This initiative follows a similar move in Jan 2020, when the previous Congress govt allocated 100 residential plots to Pakistani refugees amid nationwide protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), which was enacted in Dec 2019. The CAA aims to expedite the citizenship process for non-Muslims from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who entered India before 2015. The timing of the current BJP govt's decision is particularly notable, occurring in the wake of the recent Pahalgam attack and ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan. An Urban Development and Housing Department (UDH) official, however, said that during a public rally in Jaisalmer on Independence Day last year, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma pledged not only to provide land but also to assist in housing construction for these refugees. Officials from the UDH are currently reviewing applications to determine eligible candidates. To qualify for a plot, applicants must be registered refugees in Rajasthan, be bonafide residents of the state, and should not own any residential property in India. The govt's commitment to supporting Pakistani refugees through subsidised housing represents a significant step toward their integration into Indian society and reflects the state's ongoing efforts to address refugee welfare. The state govt has already granted citizenship to more than 150,000 Pakistani refugees in Jaipur.
