Dibrugarh: Housing and urban affairs minister Kaushik Rai has attended the first meeting of the newly constituted Second State Capital Region Development Authority-Dibrugarh (SCRDA-D) here, a key step in the state govt’s plan to develop Dibrugarh as Assam’s second capital.Held on Thursday, the meeting was chaired by Dibrugarh MLA and SCRDA-D chairperson Prasanta Phukan. It reviewed the status of urban infrastructure works underway to build Dibrugarh into a planned administrative and urban centre.Rai said the govt aimed to ensure Dibrugarh’s growth follows a structured and sustainable roadmap. “We want to build Dibrugarh into a model urban centre that reflects both administrative needs and the aspirations of the people of upper Assam. Every project undertaken here will be guided by careful planning so that development is balanced and long-lasting,” he said.Phukan stressed the need for coordination among departments and agencies involved in the initiative. “The formation of this authority gives us the institutional framework needed to plan and execute large-scale urban infrastructure in a systematic manner. We will work closely with all stakeholders to ensure timely implementation,” he said.The authority reviewed ongoing and proposed projects including roads, drainage, water supply, public amenities and other core infrastructure required for Dibrugarh’s expanded administrative role. Officials also discussed preparations for regional and sectoral development plans and identified growth corridors within a 20-km radius of the Dibrugarh Capital Complex under the newly notified state capital region.The meeting was attended by housing and urban affairs commissioner and secretary Kavitha Padmanabhan, Dibrugarh district commissioner Bikram Kairi, Dibrugarh mayor Saikat Patra, Dibrugarh municipal corporation commissioner Shivani Jerngal, director of municipal administration Tankeswar Das and AMRUT director Sampriti Goswami, along with senior officials from the Dibrugarh Urban Development Authority, Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation and other departments.Padmanabhan said the department was aligning the authority’s plans with existing urban development schemes to avoid overlap. “Our endeavour is to ensure there is no duplication of effort and that resources are used efficiently across all ongoing and upcoming projects,” she said.The SCRDA-D was formed after the Assam cabinet approved it on June 5. The state govt has earmarked Rs 500 crore over the next five years for infrastructure development in the second state capital region, in addition to funding for projects already in progress.Officials said the authority will hold meetings more frequently as planning moves into execution, with a focus on time-bound delivery of key infrastructure works for Dibrugarh’s transition into Assam’s second capital.
