Kochi: A master plan for the spatial management and development of Kochi city and agglomeration areas will be finalised by November. Before finalising the plan which foresees development activities till 2031, the local bodies in the area, five municipal corporations and 10 panchayats and other stakeholders have to submit their suggestions and objections, if any.
The civic bodies will be given two months time to study and respond to the draft plan. Once the master plan is approved, the Kochi corporation will prepare a City Development Plan (CDP) for the corporation area.
A draft plan was presented during a special session of the corporation council on Thursday, which was attended by Minister for Excise, Ports and Fisheries, K.Babu, legislators Benny Behanan, Hibi Eden, Dominic Presentation and Ludy Louis. Addressing the meeting, the minister urged the local bodies and other stakeholders to study the draft in detail and put forward valuable suggestions.
Citing the example of Thiruvananthapuram where the formulation of a similar master plan had sparked strong protests, the minister warned against holding a callous attitude while debating the plan in local bodies.
“The master plan aims at elevating Kochi to the level of a global city and it will incorporate the impact of new urban transport projects like Kochi Metro,” the minister said.
Benny Behanan, MLA, also stressed the need to have detailed discussions and valuable suggestions to make the draft plan a comprehensive development document. Mayor Tony Chammany said the master plan would be implemented once it was approved by the State Government. The next council meeting would discuss the draft plan in detail. Though August 11 was fixed as the date for the next council meeting, the Mayor rescheduled the date after the councillors demanded more time to study the draft.
