Curation Team
RANCHI: In a major step to tackle urban housing shortages and promote planned urbanisation, the state govt has announced the development of new townships in Ranchi, Khunti, Jamshedpur, Bokaro, Ramgarh, Dhanbad, Hazaribag and Deoghar. The initiative will be developed along the lines of smart cities, aiming to provide affordable housing and improved urban infrastructure.
The department of urban development and housing has begun the groundwork for this ambitious project under which around 400 to 500 acres of land will be acquired in each location. The proposed integrated townships will include housing colonies, schools, institutions, green areas and commercial spaces.
Talking to TOI on Tuesday, Amit Kumar, the CEO of Ranchi smart city corporation limited and state urban development agency director, said, “We have sent proposals to acquire land from the districts of Ranchi, Khunti, Jamshedpur, Bokaro, Deoghar, Dhanbad, Hazaribag and Ramgarh. Unlike the Ranchi smart city project, which offers premium infrastructure and housing, this initiative will be more cost-effective and affordable to the common public. The goal is to accelerate urbanisation in a planned and inclusive way.”
Rakesh Kumar, general manager of Ranchi smart city, said, “As of now, only the Ranchi DC has been officially approached with a request for identifying suitable land. We are taking this step by step to ensure proper coordination with the district administrations. Once Ranchi sets the groundwork, we will follow the same model across other cities. The emphasis is on acquiring unencumbered land that can be quickly cleared and made ready for development.”
Responding to the proposal, Ranchi DC Manjunath Bhajantri said, “We will examine available govt and unused land in and around the city to identify suitable plots for this township. If needed, anti- encroachment drives will be carried out to create space for this initiative. We aim to support the govt’s vision for urban development and ensure that the process is smooth.”
