Bangalore: The State Government, after the rejection of its first City Development Plan (CDP), has pruned its demand and asked the Centre for Rs. 1,370.68 crore as part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), sources at Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (KUIDFC) told The Hindu .

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy called on Union Minister for Urban Development S. Jaipal Reddy in Delhi on Tuesday and requested him to release funds for the projects as soon as possible. All proposals meet the technical standards expected of such projects, the sources said.

The urban renewal programme gains importance in the context of severe water logging during the rainy season in many areas, traffic jams, and poor amenities for commuters using the public transport system.

The money is earmarked for 19 projects in the city, including restructuring the sewerage system, construction of grade separators at busy traffic junctions, rehabilitation of slum dwellers and building of bus terminals and passenger amenity centres at Yeshwanthpur, Bannerghatta, Jayanagar and Domlur among others.

JNNURM is a seven-year mission to modernise urban infrastructure with the funds provided jointly by the Centre, State and local corporations. In the case of Bangalore, Rs. 509 crore will be given by the Centre, Rs. 255.79 by the State Government and Rs. 612.55 crore by the local bodies, which are the implementing agencies.

Of the 19 projects earmarked for the city, the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike has submitted 10 project reports, four of which include streamlining the drainage system to prevent water-logging in Koramanagala, Vijayanagar, Hebbal, Majestic area and Airport Road at a cost of Rs. 678.93 crore. Grade separators have been planned at Malleswaram Circle, R.V. Teacher's College Circle and Tagore Circle.

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has submitted three other proposals — restructuring the existing sewerage system in the city at a cost of Rs. 238.4 crore, providing bulk flow metering systems and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation has submitted four projects to the tune of Rs. 68.76 crore, which is being scrutinised by the Central Public Works Department.

The Karnataka Slum Clearance Board has chalked up plans for the rehabilitation of slum dwellers in 20 slums at a cost of Rs. 181.56 crore.

It has been submitted to the Ministry of Housing and Poverty Alleviation and the final clearance is expected from the National Building Materials Technical Research Institute.

Vision document

The Centre has approved the vision document called the City Development Plan (CDP). Without having received the approval for the CDP, projects would have been sanctioned. The CDP lays down the path along which the city shall develop and the Bangalore CDP aims at making the city a liveable one and help it retain the tag of Garden City.

Hubli-Dharwad

Sources in the Government told The Hindu that while Bangalore and Mysore would enjoy the benefits of JNNURM, the twin cities of Hubli and Dharwad had been left out.

The Chief Minister during his meeting with Mr. Jaipal Reddy had sought inclusion of the twin cities. But Mr. Reddy has said that the State's request for Hubli-Dharwad would be considered under another scheme wherein the Centre would provide adequate financial assistance.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail