Changes in criteria by JNURM; benefit to Arunachal

Itanagar, Mar 17: Arunachal Pradesh Urban Development&PWD Minister Nabam Tuki has stated that the Centre has changed the criteria under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM) launched last year with Rs. 50,000 crore allocations for the entire country, would benefit the state Capital.

As the urban local body and city development plan were mandatory, the state government had constituted district urban development agency (DUDA) and state urban development agency (SUDA) as a stop gap arrangement to avail the benefit of the programme, he informed the Assembly while participating in the discussion on motion of thanks to governor's address yesterday.

The MPs, MLAs, bazaar committees, Chamber of Commerce, NGOs and experts would be taken as its members. However, the Municipality Act is being enacted soon, he added.

However, master plan for all urban towns and district HQs were being prepared through experts to avail central assistance, he said, adding there was no dearth of funds.

Highlighting a number of schemes implemented in East Kameng district to deny Opposition Leader Kameng Dolo's charges, Tuki informed that while a four-lane highway would link Itanagar with Guwahati, the proposed East West highway in the middle belt would connect the entire the state.

UNI