New Delhi   

`World class city' still a distant dream

Sujay Mehdudia

Delhi Government shows no urgency to claim funds from National Urban Renewal Mission

NEW DELHI: While major urban cities and emerging urban hubs have taken the initiative and responded to the Union Government's offer of funds for reforms drive, fast-track planned development of urban infrastructure and improving the delivery mechanism under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) launched last year, the Delhi Government is yet to submit its proposals under the scheme despite the urgency in view of the Commonwealth Games 2010.

Highly placed sources informed that while urban centres like Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Ujjain, Bangalore, Hyderabad and other cities had submitted their city development and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for various projects they plan to undertake under this new initiative, Delhi is still far away from this exercise despite being sounded well in advance. The Delhi Government is still in the process of appointing consultants and had recently come up with a new initiative "Mission Mode" for developing modern infrastructure in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games. It is estimated that nearly Rs. 100,000 crores worth of funds are at stake under the Urban Development Ministry of which major cities have already submitted plans ranging between Rs. 25,0000 to 40,000 crores.

What has surprised experts and officials in the Urban Development Ministry is that there has hardly been any kind of urgency on part of the Delhi Government to get going with the projects to be taken up under the new initiative. "The Delhi Government has been talking of holding meetings and discussion on the issue for a long time. When major cities have submitted their DPRs on the issue, Delhi has informed that it was in the process of appointing consultants who would taken another few months to finalise the DPRs before they submit for consideration by the Union Government," a senior official remarked.

Under the JNNURM, the Union Government would fund 50 per cent of the projects while the State Government would arrange rest of the funds. The projects will have to be implemented in seven years time. The Union Urban Development Ministry is understood to have already put in motion the process for appraisal of the DPRs submitted by the various cities in order to speed up the sanction of funds.

With Delhi gearing up to host the Commonwealth Games, officials feel that there has been an inordinate delay in submission of the project reports by the Delhi Government. The Capital is preparing for a major up-gradation of its infrastructure with the thrust areas being public transport, roads, communications, power, parking facilities, development of heritage corridors, solid waste management and major beautification of the city.

However, delay in submission of the projects could deprive it of funds under the scheme as other cities might just pip Delhi by working in the fast pace mode to grab the funds at stake.

According to 2001 census, of the country's total population, 285.35 million people reside in urban areas constituting nearly 27.8 percent of the total population. The rise in urban population has also given rise to increase in the number of urban poor.

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