Coimbatore Master Plan draft to be open for public views soon

The Directorate of Town and Country Planning is scrutinising a draft of the revised Master Plan for Coimbatore, according to Hitesh Kumar Makwana, Principal Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Mr. Makwana told The Hindu that the government is expected to seek suggestions and views of the public on the draft Plan by May.

Revision of the Master Plan and updating it to current developments is one of the long-pending demands of the residents as the existing Plan is almost three decades old.

On the Coimbatore Development Authority, which was announced by the State government last year, Mr. Makwana said the Department was waiting for the urban local body elections to get over. The Coimbatore Development Authority, which would be on the lines of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, would soon get a statutory status. A bill to amend the Act for this purpose would be placed in the next Assembly session. Meanwhile, works were on to delineate areas that would come under the purview of the authority and a special officer/Member Secretary would be appointed shortly, he said.

K. Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause, said that in the past too, the Master Plan was revised a couple of times and suggestions were taken from the public. However, it was not finalised. At least now, the government should finalise the plan and do it at the earliest.

The decision to amend the Act for the Coimbatore Development Authority is a welcome measure. The State government should simultaneously look for a building here to house the authority. It should also appoint a Member Secretary and the Authority should become functional soon as it will give a boost to development of Coimbatore, he said.