The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : State urged to expedite urban renewal mission proposals

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Sunday, May 06, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

State urged to expedite urban renewal mission proposals

Staff Reporter

`Karnataka has taken a back seat in benefiting from the JNNURM'

Bangalore: Kirit S. Parikh, member, Planning Commission, on Saturday said there was an inordinate delay by the State Government in sending proposals to the Centre for funding under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

Delivering the valedictory address at a two-day seminar here on perspectives on the 11th Five-Year Plan, Dr. Parikh said that Karnataka had taken a back seat in benefiting from the Mission.

The seminar was organised by the Karnataka State Planning Board and the Institute for Social and Economic Change. It was attended, among others, by Planning Board Deputy Chairman A. Ravindra, Chief Secretary P.B. Mahishi and the ISEC Chairman S.L. Rao.

Dr. Parikh said the Centre could do very little in creating infrastructure in the States. It could only give financial support.

The State Governments should take the lead in getting projects sanctioned and implemented speedily.

He advised the Karnataka Government to take up infrastructure projects under public-private partnership.

Dr. Parikh expressed dissatisfaction with the progress of reforms in the energy sector and said there was an urgent need for remedial measures. Instead of depending on the Centre to set up power projects, the State could take a captive coal block in Orissa and set up a coal-based power plant in the State to get cheaper power, he suggested.

Dr. Parikh said the Commission had surveyed 50 irrigation projects in the country meant to irrigate five million hectares and found that there was a gap between the money spent on the projects and the potential created.

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