Dhumal misleading people on JLNURM, says IPH Minister

Shimla, May 11 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Minister Kaul Singh Thakur today said former chief minister P K Dhumal was misleading the people on the amount of money to be received by the state under the Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JLNURM).

Addressing a press conference here, he said Himachal was likely to receive anything between Rs 1,700 to Rs 1,800 crore under the Mission, which had been conceptulised by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to improve infrastructure of the towns of the country.

Mr Singh said the mission was launched by the Prime Minister on October five, 2005 with 90 per cent contribution from the Centre and 10 per cent state share.

Referring to the vision 2020 document mentioned by the BJP leader in his May five statement to the press, he said it had no connection with the JLNURM, which has to be completed by 2011, as against the vision document which sought to improve the town's infrastructure by 2020.

He said besides, the state has also received 100 per cent funding from the Centre for the widening of the roads of the town.

The state government had been successful incorporating the concept of tunnels in the mission since it was difficult to fell trees in the state, he said, adding that the vision document had made no mention of it.

The IPH minister said state government also decided to construct 550 houses for the urban poor in various locations of the town for which a sum of Rs 10 crore had been received from the Centre.

While 80 per cent of the funds would be received from the Centre, 10 per cent each would be contributed by the state government and the beneficiary, who would be real owner of the house, he said.

He said under the city development plan, four tunnels would be constructed within the town to reduce traffic on the roads, besides carrying out a feasibility study on the construction of a mono rail.

Besides elevators, overhead bridges, subways, pedestrian paths and seven parking lots would be constructed in the town, he said.

The government has also decided to relocate Anaj Mandi, Subzi Mandi, transport companies, timber market, Sadar Thana, district courts and bakeries at an identified place outside the town, he added.

UNI