An Appraisal of Urban Development and Planning

Mirzapur city has been chosen as the study area because in spite of having such a long histogenetic evolution, it has been neglected by the urban development authorities and it is in a very sick condition today. The city has remained the great centre of hindu culture and civilization. It has kept intact the secular culture of the two important religions - Hindus for Vindhyanchal and Muslims for Kantit. There has been a very peaceful co-existence of these communities in the city. However, despite the rosy claims by the city administration, the development of the city has been stagnant or rather declining in the the last five decades. The commercial and industrial units are closing down and the pilgrims to the sacred places of Kantit and Vindhyanchal are facing many problems.The present study is based on both primary and secondary data sources.This researcher has personally visited the city many times and met the government authorities, politicians, social workers, poets, writers, artists, historians, geographers, bureaucrats, lawyers, industrialists, businessmen, press and media persons, clerics, engineers, doctors and the most valuable of them the local people.