HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Nov 28: The Government of Assam, in partnership with Janaagraha, recently launched eight City Action Plans (CAPs) under its flagship urban development programme Doh Shaher Ek Rupayan, marking a major shift toward participatory and integrated city planning.
The Plans were unveiled by Housing & Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah in the presence of municipal leaders, government officials, partner institutions and civil society representatives.
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Designed as citizen-centric vision documents, the City Action Plans serve as blueprints to guide sustainable transformation across ten rapidly growing urban centres—Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, North Lakhimpur, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Tezpur, Nagaon, Nalbari, Dhubri and Silchar.
Based on extensive consultations at SHG and ward levels, the Plans compile community-identified priorities in areas such as solid waste management, sanitation, drinking water, mobility and blue-green infrastructure.
Inputs gathered from these consultations were consolidated into a thematic project pipeline, which was then prioritised and approved by the Municipal Planning Committee chaired by the District Commissioner.
The body includes the Municipal Chairperson, city heads, and representatives of key departments such as AMRUT, SBM, PHE, PWD, AUWSSB, Pollution Control Board and Transport, enabling cross-departmental coordination.
Officials said the CAPs form the operational foundation of Doh Shaher Ek Rupayan, which brings together multiple missions and funding streams under one unified framework.
The model seeks to break departmental silos, minimise duplication and ensure that resource allocation aligns with ground-level needs identified directly by residents.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah said the initiative marks a significant administrative reform and will be expanded to all 104 Urban Local Bodies in Assam.
He stressed that cities adhering to their Action Plans would be incentivised with additional funding.
“Very often departments work in silos, resulting in overlaps and inefficient use of funds. Integrated planning is essential. Under the leadership of the Hon’ble Chief Minister, Assam’s urban initiatives are being recognised as best practices by other states,” he said.
Mallabaruah added that the State has begun prioritising the protection of water bodies, identifying more than 2,000 such assets and operationalising The Assam Urban Water Bodies Act across ULBs to ensure long-term conservation.
Commissioner & Secretary, Housing & Urban Affairs, Kavitha Padmanabhan, IAS, said the programme represents India’s first truly city-centric planning model.
“These Plans reflect what citizens actually want. They are not documents prepared from behind a desk,” she said.
Janaagraha CEO Srikanth Viswanathan described Doh Shaher Ek Rupayan as a pioneering effort that could serve as a model for mid- and small-sized cities across India.
He said the integrated approach provides a unified vision that informs financing and annual budgeting in a manner responsive to real urban needs.
Officials said the launch marks only the beginning, as cities prepare to implement the Plans with continuous community engagement and coordinated governance to shape sustainable, well-managed urban growth over the next decade.
