Manipur Govt signs two agreements with SPA; prepares master plan 

The Government of Manipur today signed two agreements in Imphal with the Director of the School of Planning & Architecture (SPA), Bhopal, for the preparation of a GIS-based Master Plan for the horizon year 2042 for providing urban amenities in all district headquarters of Manipur other than Imphal and developing Moreh town as a South East Asian Gateway.

The agreements were signed in the presence of Manipur Minister Yumnam Khemchan by N Benju Singh, Chief Town Planner, Town Planning Department, Manipur, and Dr Shidharan, Director, School of Planning & Architecture, Bhopal, an institute of national importance under the Ministry of Education, Government of India (MAHUD).

Minister Yumnam Khemchand remarked at the agreement signing event that the state government has opted to prepare a GIS-based Master Plan and list it as Action Points for the first 100 days, citing the opportunity emerging from the improved connection network and the necessity for planned development.

According to the minister, the Master Plan/Growth Plan is the most important tool for land management, as it provides specific land use allocation for an area's long-term development. The majority of master development plans are developed over a 20-year period, with five-year phases for periodic evaluation and change. Master plans begin with the creation of a base map, existing land use surveys, and the collecting of socioeconomic data needed to assess the current situation and propose a future land use plan.

The agreement's main goals, according to the minister, are to create standard digital geo-referenced base maps and land use maps for all district heads (excluding Imphal) and Moreh, using Geographical Information System (GIS).

Khemchand also intends to help the district administration develop a concept plan for providing urban amenities in all of the district headquarters in the hill areas of Chandel, Churachandpur, Kamjong, Kangpokpi, Noney, Pherzawl, Senapati, Tamenglong, Tengnoupal, and Ukhrul, with 2042 as the horizon year. Preparation of a concept plan for turning Moreh into a model township as a Gateway to Southeast Asia under the Central government's 'Act East Policy' is also one of the goals.