Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday announced a slew of welfare and development schemes for Amritsar, including a Rs 3000 crore World Bank aided project to provide UNDC (Surface) Water based drinking water supply system in the city.The surface water scheme will replace the existing Ground Water Based Drinking Water Supply Scheme, thus addressing a serious concern of the region, which is facing severe depletion of the ground water and cases of vector borne diseases.Disclosing this at a press conference here, the Chief Minister also announced several new development projects, entailing a total cost of Rs.556.90 crore, for Amritsar, which was being developed as a Smart City at a Rs 200 crore investment, of which Rs 100 crore will be shared by the state government.The Chief Minister announced the establishment of a Directorate of Fire Services at State level in Amritsar, along with 50% seat reservation for women in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), in line with his government’s decision to make such reservation across the state.Another key decision of the government relates to provision of free homes for the homeless people and subsidized houses for the economically weaker section under the Shehri Awas Yojana.The Chief Minister also announced devolution of proprietary rights to old tenants on residential and commercial properties of municipal bodies, besides one-time settlement of old arrears of water and sewerage charges and property/ house tax.
Captain Amarinder said as part of his government’s decision to place greater emphasis on e-governance in the delivery of Urban Civic Services, most of the civic services in Amritsar would soon be made available through Mobile Applications.Besides the ongoing works in Amritsar under the Rs 75 crore Urban Mission, the Chief Minister also announced several new projects under the PIDB for the development of Amritsar, entailing a total cost of Rs 110 crore.These include construction of a 2-lane road from NH-54 to Amritsar Bhikhiwind Khem Karan Road (village Bohru) at a cost of Rs 22 crore, besides Mata Ganga Ji Marg connecting Amritsar- Jhabhal Road to Gurdwara Baba Budha Ji along UBDC (Rs. 26 crore).Captain Amarinder further told mediapersons that construction of ROB at level crossing on Amritsar-Mehta Road at Vallah would be undertaken at a cost of Rs 32 crore, in addition to a Rs 30 crore project for ROB/RUB at level crossing No. S-23 on Amritsar Attari Railway line crossing from Putligar Chowk towards Islamabad.
The Chief Minister also announced a Rs. 171.90 crore Amritsar City Development Plan, that would involve construction of ROB/Under Bridge at Jaura Phatak, construction of Flyover from HP Petrol Pump (Batala Road) to Majitha Road at 4S Chowk, extension of existing ROB (Bhandari bridge), improvement of façade from Hall Gate to Town Hall and back to Pink Plaza, as well as five multi-level parkings at various places (Kairon Market, Machhi Mandi near Hall Gate, Near Old Telephone Exchange and O/s Hall Gate).A Unified Tourism Information and Facilitation Centre would be set up for promotion of Tourism in Amritsar City, besides construction of a Multipurpose Sports and Recreation Facility at 26 acres of Improvement Trust land at Ranjit Avenue on the Bye Pass Road, the Chief Minister announced.He further announces plans to set up Public Toilets/Lavatories at 17 places in Amritsar City, beautification works around Sri Durgiana Mandir and decongestion of the traffic around Ghee Mandi through construction of slip roads and redesigning of congested roundabouts.