UK: Cities Set for Transformation, Seven cities, including Dehradun, Haridwar, Haldwani, and Nainital, included in AMRUT-1

National Vani DeskSeptember 23, 2026

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Master plans for 98 cities and towns to be ready soon

Dehradun: Master plans aimed at the planned development of the state, formulated under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, will soon be implemented on the ground. The department is currently finalizing these plans with the assistance of renowned expert institutions. A total of 98 master plans are being prepared; these include 07 plans under AMRUT-1 and 23 under AMRUT-2. Additionally, master plans are being developed for 65 urban local bodies across 7 clusters under the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ initiative, along with three specific master plans announced by the Chief Minister. To foster long-term development, all master plans are being drafted with targets set for the years 2041 and 2045.

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Cities selected under AMRUT-1
Dehradun, Haridwar, Roorkee, Rudrapur, Kashipur, Nainital, and Haldwani.

Cities selected under AMRUT-2-
Kotdwar, Srinagar, and Pauri (Pauri district); Jaspur, Nagla, Khatima, Kichha, Bazpur, Sitarganj, and Gadarpur (Udham Singh Nagar district); Ramnagar (Nainital district); Manglaur and Laksar (Haridwar district); Tanakpur (Champawat); Gopeshwar (Chamoli); Rishikesh, Doiwala, and Vikasnagar (Dehradun district); Almora; Pithoragarh; Bageshwar; Uttarkashi; and Tehri.

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Uttarakhand: First state to adopt GIS-based master plans-
Uttarakhand is set to become the first state in the country to prepare GIS (Geographic Information System) master plans even for Tier-2 and Tier-3 urban local bodies. This initiative will facilitate better land-use planning, control over illegal construction, improved traffic management, effective drainage planning, and enhanced disaster management.

Key Features
The most significant feature of these new master plans is their GIS-based planning approach. Through this initiative, development plans aligned with future needs are being formulated based on a technical and holistic assessment of cities and their surrounding areas. The objectives include—particularly in mountainous regions—planned development suited to the local geographical terrain, the promotion of tourism, the creation of local economic opportunities, the provision of physical and social infrastructure, and environmental conservation.

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Focus on Planned Development: Dr. Rajesh
Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar, the State’s Housing Secretary, states that in line with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s vision, the master plans focus on planned development while accounting for all future requirements. All tasks related to the master plans will be completed within the stipulated timeframes.

Participation of Prestigious National Institutions-
The state government is enlisting the expertise of renowned national institutions to formulate these master plans. Key institutions involved include the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) in New Delhi and Bhopal, NIT Calicut, NIT Surat, and MNIT Jaipur.

“Master plans are being formulated to foster planned and long-term urban development in the state. While these master plans will help address issues such as traffic congestion, illegal construction, and haphazard urbanization, they will also ensure better roads and other amenities for the general public.”
— Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister, Uttarakhand