Aizawl, March 17 Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma laid the foundation stone for the Aizawl city beautification project at a vacant Assam Rifles base on Tuesday, in an effort to modernize the state capital.
The project aims to beautify approximately 17 hectares of the city's central core, with a focus on public amenities.
Lalduhoma stated that the use of the land was a collective decision made by an advisory committee comprising various stakeholders.
"We aim to transform the heart of Aizawl into a beautiful space, a pleasant area for children, a great spot for the youth, and a convenient place for the elderly to enjoy the outdoors."
"As this project is for all of us, I urge everyone to cooperate. I also hope the contractors work with a sense of patriotism, looking beyond mere profit," the chief minister said.
The state government has already approved funding to start the beautification project, officials said.
An amount of Rs 23 crore has been allocated for the construction of a new road alongside the widening of an existing street, which will be carried out by the Public Works Department (PWD), they said.
As part of the project, an 'Aizawl Square' will be constructed, along with parks, an amphitheater, a police outpost, a power sub-station, and a multi-level car parking facility, the officials said.
The Assam Rifles' land was formally handed over to the state government on March 15 last year, following the relocation of the paramilitary force's base to Zokhawsang on the eastern outskirts of Aizawl.