Bhopal: Putting development as a prime poll agenda, Congress' Bhopal candidate Digvijaya Singh Sunday issued a Vision Document dedicated to the all-round growth of the City of Nawabs.
Launched with the slogan ‘Samriddha Bhopal, Samarth Bhopal’, Singh has incorporated future amenities in the document including tourism hub, faster air connectivity, big corridors linking city to mega centres, food processing centre, mega logistics hub, an IT city, job portal, super speciality hospital, sports hub, public-friendly traffic, sports amenities, water for all, amenities for the especially abled and conservation of the famed Bhopal lake.
The Congress leader alleged that a similar plan by noted estate developer Manoj Meek was also forwarded to PM Narendra Modi which he had trashed.
“Meek also had forwarded a similar plan to sitting MP Alok Sanjar who forwarded it to PM Narendra Modi but as other developmental projects are trashed there, this project also met the same fate,” alleged Singh.
The former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh claimed that PM Modi didn’t have any knowledge of a Green City and he only talked about his Smart City project everywhere. “Smart City should be pursued like a Green Project which is not the case at present,” he said.
Slamming the Shivraj Singh led BJP government, Singh said it was busy in corruption so it never came out with a Master Plan after 2005. He pragmatically declared that a Master Plan must be chalked out every ten years. The city of Bhopal still grapples with developmental bottlenecks of 2005, he added.
On being asked whether he consulted his plan with lakhs of youths of the city, Singh replied he had limited time in his hand but he tried getting in touch with ex-bureaucrats, former city planners, leading personalities and youngsters on the same.
Singh said his vision for Bhopal has adopted the concept of Development with Heritage which will focus on the conservation of the city’s heritage.
When asked if he shared a similar vision for Bhopal like that of ex-CM Babulal Gaur, who wanted to turn Bhopal into Paris, a smiling Singh said his only choice of a dream city would be Bhopal.
He referred to the development of Gurgaon, which according to him took place with efforts of DLF Group chairman KP Singh who had presented this plan to then PM Rajiv Gandhi.
Among other things, Singh has been vocal about solving traffic issues in the congested old city, developing satellite towns and IT hub in Bhopal. “In my rule, a development plan of 1995-2005 was out in place but no development took place in last 15 years,” he alleged.
His vision document also plans to develop Bhopal as ‘Bhopal – State Capital Region’.
The plan also has a proposed film city and art city. “We need to promote people associated with art and culture,” Singh said.
Digvijaya Singh has promised development as a safe capital in consultation with the locals.
However as promised, his vision document offered nothing to the victims of Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984.
“Whichever party comes to power, I will fulfil my developmental obligations in Bhopal,” said Singh.
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