STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Assam Real Estate and Infrastructure Developers’ Association (AREIDA) has welcomed the Assam Government’s decision to establish the Guwahati Satellite Cities Development Authority (GSCDA), describing it as a significant step towards planned urban expansion and sustainable development in the region.
AREIDA President P.K. Sharma said the initiative to develop a planned satellite city around the Guwahati airport area is both timely and necessary to address the growing challenges of urbanisation and congestion in the city. He noted that with the population of the Guwahati Metropolitan Area projected to reach 40 lakh during the Master Plan period, scientific and sustainable urban planning has become imperative.
Sharma observed that urbanisation is expected to play a defining role in India’s economic growth, with nearly 75 per cent of the country’s GDP projected to be generated from urban centres by 2030. In this context, he said the development of well-planned satellite cities supported by robust infrastructure is crucial to ensuring orderly growth, improving quality of life, and creating new economic opportunities.
Highlighting recent policy initiatives, Sharma said the Assam Town Planning Scheme (TPS) and Land Pooling Schemes notified by the state government are landmark reforms aimed at replacing traditional land acquisition methods with a more equitable system of land pooling and land reconstitution. He stressed that these policies should be implemented effectively to facilitate planned peri-urban expansion, strengthen civic infrastructure, attract private investment, and promote affordable housing.
The AREIDA president also pointed out that similar urban development models have been successfully implemented in several states, particularly Gujarat. He said an AREIDA delegation had visited Ahmedabad, undergone professional training under the aegis of CEPT University, and studied the practical implementation of such schemes. According to him, Assam can benefit significantly by adapting these proven models to local requirements.
While appreciating the government’s initiative, Sharma urged the authorities to involve stakeholders, including AREIDA, from the initial planning stages. “The real estate and infrastructure sector will ultimately be responsible for executing these projects on the ground. Meaningful consultation with industry stakeholders during the planning process is essential for the success of such ambitious initiatives,” he said.
He further noted that states that have witnessed successful urban development have done so through continuous collaboration among governments, industry bodies, and other stakeholders. Sharma expressed concern that in Assam, stakeholders are often excluded from the planning process while later being expected to make large-scale investments to implement regulations that may not be practically viable.
AREIDA has appealed to the state’s political leadership to institutionalise stakeholder consultation and participation from the very inception of the planning process. Sharma said such an approach would help ensure that the proposed satellite city is developed in a practical, sustainable, and economically viable manner, benefiting both the people of Assam and the state’s long-term growth trajectory.