CM Omar Abdullah Says Jammu Master Plan-2032 Approval Delayed; Planning Area Expanded to 777.84 sq km

Jammu, Feb 13 | BuzzBytes:
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said that the final approval of the Jammu Master Plan-2032 has been delayed due to corrections in land-use zoning, boundary alignment with revenue villages, incorporation of public objections and suggestions, and the time taken to collect and verify data from multiple departments.
Replying to a question by BJP MLA Chander Prakash in the Legislative Assembly, the Chief Minister said the revision of the Jammu Master Plan-2032, initiated in 2021, is presently under consideration by the government.
“The delay is due to rectification of incorrect land-use zoning and boundary alignment with revenue villages, incorporation of sustainable public objections and suggestions, and time taken in obtaining and verifying data from multiple departments, including pending inputs from the revenue and forest departments,” Abdullah said in a written reply.
He said approval for the review of the Jammu Master Plan-2032 was accorded on October 18, 2021, under Section 3 of the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act, 1970, and the terms of reference were signed between the Jammu Development Authority and the Town and Country Planning Organisation on January 28, 2021.
Urban planners and GIS experts were engaged to prepare base maps using satellite imagery and land-use surveys. Traffic and transport surveys and a socio-economic survey were conducted through the All India Institute of Local Self Government, followed by detailed sectoral analysis and preparation of technical reports.
The Chief Minister said the planning boundary was rectified and the local planning area was expanded from 652.33 sq km to 777.84 sq km, covering 350 revenue villages.
The revised draft Master Plan was placed in the public domain for 80 days from October 14, 2024, to January 3, 2025, during which 143 objections and suggestions were received. A Board of Inquiry was constituted on January 16, 2025, and public hearings were held on January 23, 2025. The exercise of public consultation has now been completed.
However, BJP MLA Yudvir Sethi criticised the delay and said that despite one-and-a-half years of the government being in office, the Jammu Master Plan-2032 is yet to be approved.
“When the entire exercise has been completed, why is the cabinet sitting over it? The government has failed to approve it,” he said.