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Cabinet endorses govt plan of developing new town
The government has decided to develop four new towns in the suburb of Kathmandu valley, investing Rs650 billion.The government has decided to develop four new towns in the suburb of Kathmandu valley, investing Rs650 billion.
A Cabinet meeting on Monday took a decision to this effect. The Kathmandu Valley Development Authority (KVDA) prepared a proposal to develop four modern new towns through a public-private venture that will transform a few selected areas into a modern urban centre, offering high-quality services.
Though it was initially named ‘satellite city’, it was later altered as the proposed infrastructure wasn’t far and did not require an expressway to link it with the main city.
The government has already invited expressions of interest from companies to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for a modern satellite city in the Kathmandu Valley. It will take five years to complete the projects, said the Cabinet’s decision.
Gundu, Balkot, Dadhikot, Duwakot and Changu Narayan in Bhaktapur, Bhainsepati and Saibu in Lalitpur and Sankhu in Kathmandu could be potential sites to be turned into an upscale town.
The new town in Kathmandu will be developed on 100,000 ropanis of area. Sankhu is likely to be a pilot new town in the first phase. The government plans to start the development process in Kathmandu and then gradually replicate it in Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts.
Likewise, the government has invited national bidders to prepare separate DPRs for the development of new towns in Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts, each covering 10,000 ropanis.
The Urban Ministry has already given the go-ahead to the authority to initiate the process of preparing the DPR. The government has allocated a budget of Rs150 million this fiscal year to prepare a land-use plan for the purpose of constructing a new town in the Valley within five years.
A high-level committee led by Urban Development Minister Arjun Narsingh KC along with four other ministers and nine secretaries from relevant ministries has been formed to ensure things are done in a coordinated manner.
A satellite city or town is an idea in urban planning that refers to an area located near major cities or metropolitan areas. The government has launched the plan to build a new town with the aim of better managing and easing congestion in the Capital by luring residents to move to the outskirts.
The new town will have modern amenities with well managed schemes for drinking water, electricity, sewage, hospitals, schools and government offices, among others. As for the land required to develop public infrastructure in the new town, the government will adopt a land-pooling mechanism. At least 5 percent of the total land will be dedicated to the construction of public infrastructure including roads and open spaces.