Shimla, Oct 31 (IANS): The Himachal Pradesh government proposes to bring all urban local bodies under the planning area for planned development, Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma said Friday.

He said this would help in providing basic amenities.

He was presiding over a meeting of the board of directors of Himachal Pradesh Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA).

He directed the officers to identify more land in various parts so that a land bank could be created for developing housing projects.

The minister said HIMUDA should focus more on setting up shopping malls, software technology parks besides leisure and entertainment facilities.

He stressed on more aggressive policy for bringing realty estate project through the public-private partnership mode and to ensure completion of projects in a fixed time frame.

Sharma, who is also the HIMUDA chairman, said the authority should go beyond the conventional framework of development and allotment of residential and commercial properties besides creating quality urban infrastructure.

The board of directors gave approval for allotment of houses, flats and plots in various housing colonies established by HIMUDA on a first-come, first-serve basis.