Bengal govt to seek hike in plan allocation for urban development

Kolkata, July 18 (UNI) The West Bengal government will write to the Planning Commission to increase the state's allocation for urban development.

State Urban Development Minister Ashok Bhattacharya said the state had been allocated only Rs 39.50 crore for urban development under the 11th five year plan, while Karnataka had been allocated Rs 900 crore, Andhra Pradesh Rs 350 crore and Maharashtra Rs 700 crore.

'' Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will write to the Planning Commission to address the issue since the allocation was made on the basis of urban population, '' Bhattacharya said.

Bhattacharya, who met Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy, said 35 per cent fund for six water projects involving Rs 254 crore had been approved by the Centre under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM).

The state had lined up projects worth Rs 700 crore for approval under the JNURM and formed a committee to examine the proposed repeal of Urban Land Ceiling Act, the condition imposed for approval under JNURM, he said.

Bhattacharya said officials from the Centre would visit the state on July 25 for examination of whether the state had met the stipulations made under the JNURM.

The Minister said the state was partnering with the Merlin Group for a Rs 100 crore stadium-cum-sports complex at Rajdanga. The project would be completed in two years.

He said the state had identified 400 acre of land for the proposed SEZ (Special Economic Zone) at Siliguri by the Videocon group. The SEZ would house manufacturing facilities, food processing facilities and biotechnology facilties among others.

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