Centre to fund Metro Rail, BRTS: Jaipal Reddy

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Hyderabad, Jan 31: Assuring the states that the Centre would liberally fund projects like Metro Rail and Bus Rapid Transport System (BTRS) over and above the Rs one lakh crore being given under the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission(JNNURM), Union Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy today urged urban local bodies to press the states to provide matching grant for infrastructural projects.

Presiding over the first conference on networking of 63 JNNURM cities, the Minister said Hyderabad would get a Central grant of Rs 8,500 crore for Metro Rail and Mumbai given Rs 4,000 crore by way of viability gap funding.

The Centre would provide over Rs 1,000 crore for the second phase of the Krishna Water Project to augment drinking water supply to Hyderabad, he added.

Mumbai would get another Rs 1,400 crore for Brihan Mumbai Storm Water and Drainage Project to equip the metropolis to tackle heavy rains during the Southwest Monsoon.

Mr Reddy said Kolkata would be provided liberal Central assistance for replacing the drinking water pipelines laid during the British regime.

The Centre would contribute Rs 4,000 crore to provide assistance to many of the ULBs, which were not in a financially sound position, for taking up urban infrastructural projects.

The Minister expressed dissatisfaction over some states not coming forward to provide matching grant for infrastructure projects for which the Centre had released funds.

''Mayors and Muncipal Commissioners should use their clout to get matching grant from states,'' he added.

Announcing Central assistance for BRTS in Indore, Nagpur and Ahmedabad, he stressed the need for better connectivity between metro rail and BRTS.

The lack of proper connectivity was hampering fuller utilisation of Metro Rail in New Delhi, he lamented.

Under the JNNURM, first priority would be given to drinking water projects and then to drainage projects and transport, he said urging states to improve professional expertise by creating a special cadre for Municipal Administration and appointing professional bodies like the Administrative Staff College of India as knowledge managers.

UNI

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