The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : 19 JNNURM projects await Centre’s nod

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Sunday, Mar 02, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

19 JNNURM projects await Centre’s nod

Staff Reporter

Projects need huge capital expenditure

Projects are to be implemented in Bangalore, Mysore
Their cost has been estimated at Rs. 3,658.64 crore

BANGALORE: In the Union Budget for 2008-09, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has allocated Rs. 6,866 crore for projects under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). Karnataka has sought funds for 19 JNNURM projects to be implemented in Bangalore and Mysore.

The funding for the JNNURM has gone up from Rs. 5,482 crore in 2007-08. “We have placed for approval projects that require big capital expenditure,” said Jawaid Akhtar, Managing Director, Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC), which is the nodal agency for JNNURM projects in the State.

Cost to be shared

Nineteen projects in the two cities are to be implemented at an estimated cost of Rs. 3,658.64 crore, with the Centre providing 35 per cent for projects in Bangalore and 50 per cent for projects in Mysore. These 19 projects include water supply, sewerage, roads and basic services for the urban poor.

The JNNURM is the only centrally assisted scheme for the renewal of 64 urban conglomerates, including Bangalore and Mysore, and will be implemented up to 2012.

In the coming year, the State Government is likely to place for approval 47 projects for infrastructure services such as water, drainage, roads and improvement of basic facilities in slums.

The total investment for these 47 projects is Rs. 7,535.32 crore.

Forty-seven projects (41 in Bangalore and six in Mysore) with an investment of Rs. 3,254.39 crore are in various stages of implementation. Out of this investment, Rs. 1,692 crore has been allocated for the water, sewerage and drainage sector, Rs. 1,030 crore for roads and road-related infrastructure and Rs. 510 crore for basic services to the urban poor in 130 slums in the two cities.

The Centre has, however, released only Rs. 315.62 crore for the projects, and the State Government has contributed Rs. 135.86 crore.

Conditions

The JNNURM comes with its set of conditions for mandatory reforms. In 2008-09, the State Government has committed itself to implementing four reforms: forming area sabhas, reducing stamp duty by 0.5 per cent, enacting the provisions of the Public Disclosure law and forming district planning committees.

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