About Patna (capital city)

Patna is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. Patna is the second largest city in eastern India after Kolkata . It had an estimated population of 1.68 million in 2011, making it the 19th largest city in India. With over 2 million people , its urban agglomeration is the 18th largest in India. Patna also serves as the seat of Patna High Court.

One of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world.Patna was founded in 490 BCE by the king of Magadha. Ancient Patna, known as Pataliputra, was the capital of the Magadha Empire under the Haryanka, Nanda, Mauryan, Shunga, Gupta and Pala empires. Pataliputra was a seat of learning and fine arts. Its population during the Maurya period (around 300 BCE) was about 400,000.

The modern city of Patna is situated on the southern bank of river Ganges. The city also straddles the rivers Sone, Gandak and Punpun. The city is approximately 35 kilometres (22 mi) in length and 16 to 18 kilometres (9.9 to 11.2 mi) wide. In June 2009, the World Bank ranked Patna second in India (after Delhi) for ease of starting a business.As of 2011-12, Patna had the highest per capita gross district domestic product in Bihar, at ₹63,063.Using figures for assumed average annual growth, Patna is the 21st fastest growing city in the world and 5th fastest growing city in India according to a study by the City Mayors' Foundation. Patna registered an average annual growth of 3.72% during 2006-2010.

The Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain pilgrimage centres of Vaishali, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bodh Gaya, and Pawapuri are nearby and Patna City is also a sacred city for Sikhs as the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, was born here.

Now coming to the latest condition of patna.Once known as a backward state, Bihar has made a strong bid for a mention on the world's infotech map as chief minister Nitish Kumar unveiled the 20km free Wi-Fi zone, the longest across the globe, at a function christened e-Bihar summit in Patna on Wednesday. Kumar also unveiled a 'city surveillance and dial 100' scheme under which at least 100 CCTV cameras installed in different localities of the state capital became operational. A state data centre has also been opened for storing of the 'data' collected by these cameras.

Speaking on the occasion, CM Kumar announced an IT City would be developed on a 200-acre plot at Rajgir. He also said the government has in principle approved an infotech building on a plot of one lakh sq ft and another on a plot of 5 lakh sq ft in Patna. Besides, an infotech park is coming up on the outskirts of the city.

Kumar asked the information technology department officials to hold roadshows in select cities across the country to spread awareness about the progress made by Bihar in the field of information technology. "Our state should now be the IT industry's fave destination," he said.

The state's free Wi-Fi zone is the longest in the world since China's 3.5km zone was treated as the longest so far. The 'city surveillance and dial 100' project is first of its kind in the country as it integrates the surveillance of the city, vehicle tracking and dial 100 control centre schemes. An automated number plate recognition system has been installed on 11 roads, which will automatically note the registration number of the vehicles entering and exiting the city. "It was with this surveillance system's help that the Patna police rescued the son of a city-based trader from Ara within 24 hours of his kidnapping recently," CM Kumar said.

IT minister Shahid Ali Khan said free Wi-Fi facility would be provided at all the tourist spots in the state. Principal secretary (IT) N K Sinha said Bihar might be a late entrant to this sector but "we are on the cusp of IT revolution". Nasscom president R Chandrashekhar and Beltron MD Atul Sinha were among those who also spoke at the e-Bihar event.


Patna will be developed as a world class city with satellite towns, highrise buildings, expressways and wetlands on the lines of metropolitan cities by 2021. Making a powerpoint presentation on the final Master Plan of the city here yesterday, Deputy Director (Architecture and Planning) of the state Urban Development department A K Rai said the Patna of today (140 square km) will be developed into a metropolitan city spread over 330 square km. A new township of ''Greater Patna'', bound by 200 feet and 120 feet expressways on the four sides with cluster of highrise buildings, following all the norms of disaster management, on the south and west of Bypass Road, from Fatuha to Bihta, will also be developed. He maintained that another 15 square km township-cum-commercial hub, housing mainly the IT sector, would be developed on the new land made available by the receding Ganga from Rajapur Pool to Digha Ghat. A feasibility report is expected to be completed by September 2008, he informed. Highlighting the salient features of the Master Plan, he said the city will have its own Mass Rapid Transportation System (MRTS) inspired by Delhi metro-railway, Marine Drive alongside Ganga river like the one in Mumbai, flyovers at Exhibition road Dakbunglow Chauraha Income Tax Golambar and Boring Canal road on the lines of flyovers in Kolkata to avoid traffic snarls and Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the overhauling of drainage to avoid water logging in low lying areas during inclement weather. The DPR would be sent to the Centre by June 2008 for fund allocations under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM), he said. He also added that the motto of the Master Plan was not to change or alter the infrastructure of the city by demolition drive but to shape the city by converting it into planned development areas as per the norms of the Community Development Programme (CDP) by providing better infrastructure to the denizens like proper sanitation, urban drainage management, multi-storied parking lot in commercial hubs, for beautification of the state capital. ''The Master Plan is a micro-level vision document to shape the growing structure of the city with the optimum utility of the funds sanctioned by the government for urban development,'' Mr Rai maintained. He also elaborated on the features in the Master Plan to solve the problem of waterlogging by developing lagoons and wetlands alongside low-lying areas and constructing powerful pumping stations to drain out the water through centralised mechanical means. He also added that the wetlands and lagoons could be used for commercial recreation and farmlands to develop a green land on the outskirts making the state capital eco-friendly.

Read more at: http://www.oneindia.com/2008/03/16/patna-to-be-developed-as-metropolitan-city-by-2021-1205645534.html