BHUBANESWAR: To meet the demand of current urban expansion, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) has proposed to develop Bhubaneswar New City on the outskirts of the state capital, which will have all the components ranging from knowledge-based industries to innovation hub to eco-inclusive habitat.

A proposal in this regard is being prepared by the development authority, which has been done in line with a challenge thrown open by the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) last year. MoHUA’s challenge was to develop eight new townships across India and a proposal in this regard has been submitted by the BDA.

According to the challenge under the 15th Finance Commission, the development authority has proposed to develop the new city on an area of 314.5 hectares covering Gothapatna and Dasapur village on the city outskirts. “One proposal can be sent by each state as we have decided to select Bhubaneswar for the new township,” BDA vice-chairman Balwant Singh said.

According to the proposal, the new city will have different knowledge-based industries, research laboratories, tourism supporting components, smart and resilient infrastructure and an eco-friendly habitat for the citizens. The objective of the township will be to highlight technological advancements through innovative urban development models, officials said. “The new city has been divided into five zones — innovation, congregation, eco-inclusive, mixed-amenities and housing. We have drafted the proposal and invited an agency to carry out an environmental impact survey.” Singh said.