CHANDIGARH: Comprehensive development plans for all towns in Haryana would be ready before the end of December this year and Rs.263.51 crores would be

provided to municipalities during this financial year, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said on Thursday after chairing a meeting to review the functioning of the Urban Development Department.

While laying stress on planned development of towns, Mr. Hooda directed that private participation be sought for rendering various services like solid waste management in the major towns. Also, monitoring of developmental works should be undertaken at a fixed interval and quality of material to be used for various works should be checked, he said.

Mr. Hooda, who also reviewed the functioning of the Faridabad Municipal Corporation, directed that a project be formulated to provide houses to slum

dwellers and free the area from encroachments. Also, a transparent system should be adopted for auction of space for advertisements in Faridabad. The Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Urban Development, N. Bala Bhaskar, disclosed that as against releasing over Rs. 69.84 crores to themunicipalities during 2004-05, about Rs. 209 crores was released during the last financial year.

He said that steps were being taken to ensure effective use of funds and powers had been delegated to Deputy Commissioners to sanction projects of up to Rs. 10 lakhs. Projects involving an investment of up to Rs. 25 lakhs were being

sanctioned by the Director, Urban Development to ensure their speedy implementation. Also, district level monitoring committees headed by Deputy Commissioners had been reconstituted and the vacancies of technical staff in various municipalities were being filled up.

Rojgar Yojna

The Chief Minister also reviewed implementation of Swaran Jayanti Shehri Rojgar Yojna (SJSRY) which was being funded by the Central and State Governments in the ratio of 75:25.

The scheme is aimed at benefiting the urban poorunder the components of urban self-employment programme and urban wage employment programme.

He said that 108 self-help groups were formed during the last financial year under this scheme and loan and subsidy provided to 3,289 people. Also, 84 thrift and credit societies were set up and over 5,000 people were imparted training.

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