After 40 years of wait, Shimla to launch development plan

SHIMLA: Suresh Bhardwaj, Minister of Urban Development, Government of Himachal Pradesh presided over a meeting of the Town and Country Planning Department on Monday, January 17, to discuss the Shimla development plan’s final draft.

After 40 years, a development plan for Shimla is being drafted, which is a historic development. The municipality will have a Geographical Information System (GIS)-based development plan that will address a number of challenges in addition to bringing relief to the residents. “The goal of conference was to have a detailed discussion of the important suggestions in Shimla’s development plan before the draft is finalised,” Bhardwaj stated.

According to Bhardwaj, a full presentation of the Shimla Planning Area’s Draft Development Plan was presented, and various concerns were discussed. The meeting attendees were given a thorough explanation of the Draft Development Plan’s numerous characteristics and provisions. “The Draft Development Plan 2041, proposed Zoning Regulations and Building By-laws for various development activities and was debated point-by-point throughout the meeting. According to him, Shimla’s building guidelines are classified into two categories: core and non-core.

The planned building by-laws for the core area were suggested to be two floors, a habitable attic, and parking, while the non-core region was suggested to be three floors, according to the minister. He also stated that along with major roadways, including national and state highways, more relaxations in terms of construction height, number of floors, and land usage would be granted. After assessing how far the GIS-based plan has progressed, the minister advised moving forward with the development plan and notifying it by January 25. He stated that after notice, the document would be presented for public comment.