Face of Holy City Amritsar set to change
The much-hyped proposal of setting up the Amritsar Development Authority (ADA) on the patterns of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will be a reality now. Though the formal announcement will be made by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on May 5, the SAD-BJP government has taken the decision to float the body for the overall development of the Holy City, which is plagued by inadequate infrastructure.
ADA would work with a "future vision". The Golden Temple, Durgiana Temple, Jallianwala Bagh and Wagah border attract pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. The city had long been neglected for being on the border. But now there will be a body of the people and for the people which will set an agenda of the overall planned growth. Though rules and regulations are yet to be framed, but ADA would be a civic body with maximum participation of the people. It's working has to be transparent and people-oriented and administration staff has to be well-acquaint with the future need of the city,
The city needs infrastructure. The roads are in bad shape… pilgrims and tourists are shocked over pathetic transport system, parking places and lack of enough hotels and restaurants. There has to be focused plan for the city,
Welcoming the move, Citizens' Forum and Amritsar Vikas Manch said they hope that expert and honest bureaucrats would be appointed in the ADA so that the history of the city remains intact. "The political interference has to be checked and the ADA should be answerable to the public," said a spokesman.
Besides streamlining city's traffic, more hotels should be set up and Rajasansi International Airport should be modernised, he added.
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