To provide wholesome development to the Shivalik region, which lacked basic infrastructure, facilities and employment opportunities, the Haryana government, in March 1993, formed an independent board, the Shivalik Development Board (SDB), with the Shivalik Development Agency (SDA) as its implementation wing to facilitate the region’s development. While the population of the area under the SDA is over 1.8 million, amounting to approximately 8.8% of the state population, the authority covers the entire area of Panchkula, Ambala and Yamuna Nagar.
Key responsibilities of the SDA
The Ambala-headquartered SDA was established with the following mandate:
- To undertake special comprehensive surveys for all-round development of the Shivalik area, on the basis of techno-economic and other detailed surveys.
- To formulate specific schemes to raise the standard of living of people in general and identified beneficiaries in particular.
- To undertake area development schemes inter-alia, for further strengthening of infrastructure facilities in the area, necessary for achieving the goals set by the agency.
- To review the progress of schemes undertaken by the agency and all other ongoing schemes/ programmes being implemented by the state and central government and other institutions, to dovetail them with special schemes undertaken by the agency.
See also: All about Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran, the erstwhile HUDA
To meet the above-stated aims, the agency may:
- Give assistance to identified beneficiaries and institutions engaged in executing specific individual / area-based plans, in a bid to boost the plans and schemes undertaken/ supported by the agency.
- Make necessary organisational arrangements for implementation of the approved schemes.
- Draw, accept, make, endorse, discount and negotiate with SDB/ state government / centre and others, for cheques or other negotiable instruments.
- Invest the funds to sell or transfer such instruments.
- Purchase, take on lease, accept as gift, construct or otherwise acquire any loan or property wherever suitable, which may be necessary or useful for the agency.
- Decide and recommend or impose necessary corrective/ panel measures for meaningful utilisation of grants/ funds, services/ properties of the agency by the individual beneficiaries or the institution engaged in implementing the programme sponsored, supported, adopted and monitored by the agency.
See also: All about Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC)
Priority sectors of the SDA
The SDA works towards making improvement in the field of agriculture, drinking water, education, livestock, forest and land.
FAQs
Where is the headquarters of the SDA?
SDA’s headquarters is in Ambala, Haryana.
Who is the chairman of the SDA?
The commissioner of the Ambala Division is the ex-officio chairman of the agency.
Where is Shivalik Hills?
The Shivalik hill range extends from Jammu and Kashmir to Uttarnachal in the east, covering Himachal Pradesh and parts of Haryana and Punjab.