'Srinagar, Jammu to be devpd as Mission Cities'

Srinagar, Jun 13: Jammu and Srinagar will be developed as the country's ''Mission Cities'' with the massive central assistance of more than Rs 8300 crore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) programme.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad stated this at a high-level meeting here last evening to review the implementation of JNNURM in the state.

Explaining the features of upgrading and modernising the twin capitals of the state, he said this would be done with the massive central assistance of more than Rs 8300 crore under JNNURM.

Development of required urban infrastructure, extending modern civic amenities to the people, beautification, governance and basic services to urban poor were some of the main objectives of the programme, Mr Azad added.

He said the project for Srinagar city was estimated at Rs 4206 crore while for Jammu it would be Rs 4120 crore.

The Chief Minister said all small and medium towns in the state were also being developed under the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT) and Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme (IHSDP).

He said Jammu and Kashmir has golden opportunity to develop fast as the flow of funds from the Centre was unprecedented and projects of vast economic importance and social value have been approved by the union government for the state.

''All of us have to contribute to the best of our capacity and utilise the funds to complete the schemes in the targeted period,'' Mr Azad said and stressed for formulating and implementing schemes without wasting any time to ensure benefits to the general public.

Mr Azad said drinking water supply, solid waste management, sewerage and drainage along with other components should form high priority of development plans for both Srinagar and Jammu cities. Expert consultancy services should be engaged for preparing detailed project reports within a fixed timeframe, he added. The Chief Minister said all the components of mega projects should be implemented simultaneously in an integrated manner so that best results were obtained in providing amenities to the people.

The meeting also discussed modalities for formulation and speedy implementation of detailed project reports.

The meeting was told that an expenditure of Rs 1614.16 crore would be incurred under traffic and transportation sector, Rs 338.74 crore for water supply, Rs 433 crore for sewerage, Rs 403 crore for drainage, Rs 97.72 crore for riverfront development and Rs 236.50 crore for preservation of water bodies.

Similarly, Rs 168.84 crore would be utilised on conservation of heritage areas, Rs 86.72 crore on development of parks and gardens, Rs 285.28 crore for creating amenities and facilities, Rs 42.34 crore on solid waste management, Rs 27.18 crore on commercial sector, Rs 50 crore on reforms and capacity building and another Rs 423.46 crore would be spent under housing for urban poor and urban basic facility for slum dwellers and urban poor.

So far as the approved city development plan for Jammu was concerned, Rs 1185 crore would be spent on sewerage, Rs 300 crore on drainage, Rs 2015.52 crore on transport, Rs 242.05 crore on water supply, Rs 175 crore under urban poor sector, Rs 102.45 crore under heritage and water bodies, Rs 32 crore for reforms, Rs 47.78 crore on miscellaneous works and Rs 20 crore on solid waste management.

The meeting also reviewed development of various towns in the state under UIDSSMT and IHSDP and called for speeding up the implementation of various components of the projects, which have been sanctioned, and funds released for the purpose.

It was also stated that the pace of formulation and sanction of projects would be given fillip in case of other towns.

UNI