CM reviews housing programme in AP

Hyderabad, Jul 12 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today instructed officials to prepare integrated housing projects for urban poor living in the slum areas of Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam cities, to cover at least 15,000 poor families in each city.

The Chief Minister, who is also the chairman of the state-level steering committee of the Andhra Pradesh Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation (APUFIDC), a state-level nodal agency of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM) reviewed the housing programme in the state.

He reviewed the progress of works sanctioned under JNNURM both for urban infrastructure and urban basic services for poor.

Dr Reddy asked the officials to give greater impetus for the housing activity. The committee reviewed the progress of works sanctioned under first-state level sanctioning committee (SLSC) approved by the Centre.

It was informed that projects with an estimated cost of Rs 975 crore were approved by the Centre under the Urban Infrastructure for Integrated Housing and basic infrastructure facilities for the urban slums for Hyderabad city, including 49,000 houses for urban poor in Hyderabad urban agglomeration area.

Projects worth Rs 212 crore were already appraised by Centre for Visakhapatnam city and may likely to get sanction on July 28. A sum of Rs 92.04 crore worth projects, sanctioned for Vijayawada City, were under implementation.

Further projects worth Rs 297.733 crore were approved and recommended by the SLSC today to be sent to the for sanction.

Dr Reddy also instructed the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to speed up the implementation of works already sanctioned under the programme and ensure more such project reports were prepared for onward submission to the Centre to get the maximum benefit under JNNURM.

The Chief Minister also instructed the Commissioners of Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada to prepare detailed project report for Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) for the cities of Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.

He also reviewed the implementation of urban reforms laid down under JNNURM scheme and desired the reforms should be implemented in its true spirit to improve the urban governance.

UNI BR GM 1819