Town Planners' Congress to concentrate on Peri-Urban Town Planning

Kolkata, Dec 19 (UNI) Institute of Town Planners, India, Secretary General S S Mathur today said the peri-urban areas of the country needs to be planned and developed to contain the overflow of population to the urban areas.

Speaking at the curtain raiser of the 56th National Town and Country Planners Congress, to be held between December 20-22, Mr Mathur said, ''According to a census conducted by the Centre, every second citizen in India will become a town or city dweller by the end of 2051.'' He added that the places on the outskirts of the main urban areas need to be well planned and developed to make space for the increasing population who are eager to come to the city to earn a better living.

The programme is being held in collaboration with the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Delhi Development Authority.

''This is in the interest of the urban economy as well as the rest of the country,'' said some of the KMDA officials. They said they were working hand in hand to bring all the conveniences of an urban town to the people living on the outskirts.

About 400 delegates from all over the country will participate in the programme and at the end of its three-day session, will place before the Centre and the state governments its Draft Recommendations that they propose for the various areas of the country, currently with special emphasis on Kolkata.

The Congress will deal with "Metropolitan Areas, Problems and Prospects: Their Future Role in National Economy". This is the third time that this Congress is being held in Kolkata, the last being in 1991.

In the conext of peri-urban areas, the sub-themes of the Congress include planning and development policies, implications of peri-urban developments, financing and management of infrastructure and integrating needs of the urban poor in the development process.

UNI