MP Assy passes Rs 3,563.66 cr grants for Urban Admn dept

Bhopal, Mar 6 (UNI) The Madhya Pradesh Assembly today passed by voice vote grants of Rs 3,563.66 crore for 2006-07 for Urban Administration and Housing and Environment department.

Replying to debate in the assembly, Urban Administration and Development Minister Jayant Malaiya said the government has made a provision for Rs 561 crore for octroi compensation of civic bodies.

Mr Malaiya said special attention is being paid upon urban administration in view of overall development of urban areas.

Mr Malaiya denied opposition claim about snapping of public tap connections and informed that different rates were being charged in slums for such connections.

Mr Malaiya said daily wage employees were not being regularised in view of the apex court ruling in this regard, while replying to a query by leader of opposition in the assembly Jamuna Devi, A Land Pulling Act had been formulated -- so that farmers get adequate compensation -- and sent to Law department. The Act will be presented in the House in this session itself.

The minister said the amount for group insurance scheme has been raised to Rs 25,000 in case of natural death and Rs 50,000 in unnatural death of sanitary workers putting an additional burden of Rs 20 lakh annually on the government.

Earlier, the scheme had a provision of Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively. The scheme will benefit 18,000 sanitary workers.

The state government has prepared a new scheme for strengthening small and medium-level civic bodies with the help of Centre. The Centre will provide 80 per cent share, while the government and the civic body will provide 10 per cent share each.

He said a provision for Rs 15 crore has been made in this regard and 25 towns will be developed.

Similary, Rs 2,500 crore scheme will be implemented for development of four towns -- Indore, Jabalpur, Indore and Ujjain -- with a population of over 10 lakh, he added.

He said the 12th Finance Commission will provide Rs 361 crore for civic bodies in the state from which Rs 72.20 crore has been made available to civic bodies this year.

UNI AG-PS YA PC2340