Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

Another Rs 750 cr. will be granted to city: Jaipal

— Photo: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar

Reaching out: Union Minister for Uraban Development S. Jaipal Reddy lends a sympathetic ear to senior citizen D. Ranganayakamma as she gives vent to her anguish at not being sanctioned old-age pension at Nagarjunanagar in Vijayawada on Monday.

VIJAYAWADA: Asserting that the UPA Government was committed to allocation of funds on a large scale for development of cities, Union Minister for Urban Development S. Jaipal Reddy on Monday announced that an additional Rs. 750 crores or more would be granted to Vijayawada under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in the next three to four years. The city had already got Rs.750 crores for various infrastructure projects under the programme, he pointed out.

Addressing a gathering after distribution of pension passbooks to beneficiaries and disbursing loans to members of self-help groups at the end of a string of inaugurations and laying of foundation stones, the Minister endorsed the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) proposed to be taken up in the city under JNNURM. He said space and energy (in the form of fuel) would be saved, as public transport systems were always environment-friendly. The BRTS was estimated to cost Rs. 152 crores, but more funds would be sanctioned, if necessary, he said.

Explaining the rationale behind taking up BRTS, Mr. Reddy said that the silent financial revolution triggered by the generation of wealth was leading to massive changes. “Roads are being widened in towns and cities, but traffic jams continue. Traffic jams are also signs of growing wealth,” he observed.

Mr. Reddy said infrastructure worth Rs. one lakh crores would be created in the cities selected under JNNURM in seven years. The Central Government would spend half the money, while the remaining would be spent by the State Government and local bodies. Such a huge amount was being spent for development of cities for the first time. Earlier, very small amounts were allocated for development of cities because urban development was in the State list.

The Minister pointed out that 200 years ago just two per cent of the world’s population lived in cities. But, today, 50 per cent of the population lived in urban areas. In the developed countries, almost the entire population lived in urban areas. Only 30 per cent of the Indian population lived in urban areas today, but the percentage of people living in Indian cities would increase to 60 per cent by 2030, he said.

The Union Minister laid foundation stones for a drainage pumping station at Gunadala and a Basic Services for the Urban Poor (BSUP) project at Ajit Singh Nagar. He also inaugurated underground drainage schemes at Nagarjuna Nagar, Krishnalanka and Kamineni Nagar. He also inaugurated a water reservoir and drinking water pumping scheme at Wynchpet.

MP Lagadapati Rajagopal, MLAs Devineni Rajasekhar (Kankipadu), Vangaveeti Radhakrishna (Vijayawada East), Sk. Nasar Vali (Vijayawada West), Mayor Mallika Begum, VMC Commissioner Natarajan Gulzar, VGTM-UDA chairman Malladi Vishnu, MLCs, corporators and officials were present.

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