HUBLI: Union Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy has said that the Centre was considering including Hubli-Dharwad in Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

In a video recording of his statement made by the JNNURM and Kalasa Banduri Nala Horata Samiti during a meeting in New Delhi, which was played before the presspersons here on Saturday, the Union Minister made it clear that Union Cabinet had to take a decision in this regard and he would take steps to place it before the Cabinet meeting. Mr. Jaipal Reddy has clarified that the other schemes mentioned by him during his meeting with Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Congress leaders in New Delhi a few months ago was nothing but UIDSMT (Urban Infrastructure Development of Small and Medium Towns), which was part of JNNURM.

He clarified that there was no ceiling as such as far as funds under the UIGSM was concerned. In fact, UIDSMT was more suitable for urban local bodies as under it 80 per cent of the project cost would be given as grant by the Centre and only the remaining 20 per cent had to be shared by the State Government and the urban local body.

The twin cities would get generous treatment as far as extending financial assistance under UIDSMT was concerned and meanwhile efforts would be on to include the twin cities under the major cities section of JNNURM, he said. The Union Minister had said he had told Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy during his meeting with him to send a detailed project reports for the twin cities, which would be processed after receiving it.

Later explaining the need for video recording the statement of Mr. Jaipal Reddy, the former mayor and president of the Horata Samiti (a non-political association), Anilkumar Patil, said the samiti thought it would be appropriate to get his clear statement in the wake of reports in the media. Mr. Patil appealed to the State Government to immediately send a proposal in this regard.

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