PLANNING STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF CUTTACK-BHUBANESWAR REGION

Abstract

In India out of the total population of 1027 million as on 1st March, 2001, about 742 million live in rural areas and 285 million in urban areas. The net addition of population in rural areas during 1991-2001 has been to the tune of 113 million while in urban areas it is 6 million. The percentage decadal growth of population in rural and urban areas during the decade is 17.9 and 31.2 percent respectively. The percentage of urban population to the total population of the country stands at 27.8. The percentage of urban population to total population in the 1991 Census (including interpolated population of Jammu & Kashmir where Census could not be conducted in 1991) was 25.7 percent. Thus, there has been an increase on 2.1 percentage points in the proportion of urban population in the country during 1991 �â� � 2001. Among all the States and Union territories, the National Capital Territory of Delhi is most urbanized with 93 percent urban population followed by Union territory of Chandigarh (89.8 percent) and Pondicherry (66.6 percent).Among the major States, Tamil Nadu is the most urbanized state with 43.9 percent of the population living in urban areas followed by Maharashtra (42.4 percent) and Gujarat (37.4 percent). The proportion of urban population is the lowest in Himachal Pradesh with 9.8% followed by Bihar with 10.5 percent, Assam (12.7 percent) and Orissa (14.9 percent). In terms of absolute number of persons living in urban areas, Maharashtra leads with 41 million persons which is 14 percent of the total population of the country. Uttar Pradesh accounts for about 35 million followed by Tamil Nadu 27 million.