The Times of India            27.11.2013

Master plan for outer ring road to be ready in 3 months

SURAT: The master plan for the 27km first phase of the 67km Outer Ring Road will be ready in three months. Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and Surat Urban Development Authority (SUDA) have jointly shortlisted three consultants for designing the master plan.

"The first phase passes through 13 town planning (TP) schemes. Nine of this TP schemes are in SUDA and remaining four in SMC areas," city engineer, SMC, Jatin Shah said.

"In all, eight consultants had sent their expression of interest and made presentations. We have shortlisted three," he added.

The shortlisted consultants include HCP Design and Planning, Ahmedabad, Stuth Consultants and Intercontinental Consultants.

The master plan's design outlay will mark the position of roads, bridge structures, junction flyover positions, transportation systems, urban road planning and water supply networks, drainage networks, storm water drains, electricity and communication networks. It will also define specific service lanes and roads for creation of service ducts and other utility areas.

"We would like to plan this project in advance and make provisions for all facilities required so that it doesn't create chaos in future," municipal commissioner Manoj Das said.

"This will model project for the country as it is self financing," he added.

SMC and SUDA estimate to foot the whole project from the money it generates by sale of FSI. Against the total expenses of Rs 5,100 crore, it is likely to generate income of about Rs 10,000 crore in coming five years time. The spare money could be used to fund mass transport project like metro rail.

As this whole project is self financed, SUDA and SMC expect and are dependent on state government to quickly approve all 13 draft TP schemes that have been submitted.

Once the draft TP schemes are approved, authorities can take possession of the land and start providing basic infrastructural facilities and generating enough money by way of sale of Floor Space Index (FSI).

A special provision is made in the case of Outer Ring Road where FSI up to 0.6 would be provided free of cost after which a developer can purchase extra FSI up to 4.00 by paying a premium of 40 per cent of the prevailing jantri rate of the area.