Centre to develop small, medium cities

Vijayawada, Oct 2 (UNI) The Centre will develop small and medium cities across the country under the 'Urban Integrated Development Scheme for Small and Medium cities' (UIDSSM).

Informing this to newspersons here, Union Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy said the scheme would cover cities with a population of less than ten lakh.

The Centre would bear 80 per cent of the expenditure and the balance would be borne by state governments and local bodies.

Mr Reddy said for this seven-year scheme, Andhra Pradesh had sought a Rs 640 crore assistance, but the Centre had sanctioned Rs 1,600 crore in the interests of the State.

He said that under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), the Centre would spend Rs 1,00,000 crore to develop select cities in seven years. In the State, Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam were enlisted under the JNNURM.

The Minister said Rs 750 crore was sanctioned to Vijayawada and an equal sum would be sanctioned within two years. The Centre would bear 50 per cent of the grant.

UNI