Patna: Bihar will soon get as many as 11 satellite cities including near Sonepur and Punauradham of Sitamarhi, informed the Urban Development and Housing Department in an official statement issued.
The upcoming cities will be based on greenfield township model and developed across 9 divisional headquarters including Muzaffarpur, Purnia, Bhagalpur, Saran, Gaya, Darbhanga, Munger, Saharsa and Patna.
Two additional satellite cities will also be developed in Sonepur (Patna-Sonepur belt) and Sitapuram near Punauradham of Sitamarhi where a grand temple of Maa Janki is being constructed.
The Bihar council of Minister led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has already given in-principle approval for the construction of these planned greenfield township.
The initiative is expected to provide better urban infrastructure, organised housing with modern facilities along investment and employment opportunities with improved standard of living.
The upcoming cities will ease the burden on the major urban centres and include green parks, entertainment zones and robust security arrangements, said Bihar Urban Development and Housing Department Minister Nitin Nabin.
The Minister stated that the priority of the government is to take the urbanisation of Bihar as per the national standards. “The decision to develop satellite township is a significant step towards this. It is for the first time in 40 years and after Patliputra and Kankarbagh that 11 new townships will be developed,” said the Minister.
“The initiative is being taken with an aim to balance urbanisation, to ease the burden of population on major cities and to ensure quality basic infrastructure in the state,” said Nabin.
“In these satellite cities special emphasis will be given on traffic management, water management, waste management, green parks and residential areas,” he added.
According to details, district-wise administrative committees will soon be formed under the project which will include land acquisition official, urban planning official and representative of Revenue and Land Reform Department.
These committees will oversee the model, boundaries, public facilities and policies related to land re-distribution of the township. The townships will also have special arrangements for industrial investments which will create job opportunities as well.
The Minister noted, that other than developing new satellite townships, the government will also work on developing old cities in a modern and better way.
