Srinagar, Jammu selected as Mission cities

NEW DELHI, 3 DEC: Srinagar and Jammu cities have been selected as two Mission cities under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The Mission envisages focus on efficiency in urban infrastructure and governance, basic services to the urban poor, to encourage reforms and fast track planned development of identified cities, and service delivery mechanisms with community participation and accountability of Urban Local Bodies. This was stated at the National Conference on JNNURM inaugurated by Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on Thursday.

From Jammu and Kashmir, the Conference was attended by Commissioner/Secretary, Housing and Urbam Development, Mr Abdul Hamid, Commissioner Municipal Corporation, Jammu, Mr. Mubarak Singh, Vice Chairman JDA, Mr. Gulzar Ahmed Qurashi, Commissioner Municipal Corporation, Srinagar, Mr. Tufail Ahmed, CEO/SUIDA, Mr. Javed Ahmed Khan and Vice Chairman, LAWDA Mr. Irfan Yaseen.

The Conference discussed the factors such as varied topography and troubled torn situation of the State due to which the J&K becomes a specific case for liberal funding from the Government of India.

The State observers in the Conference said that this National Level Conference was a unique platform for amalgamation of ideas in the field of sewerage, urban development, e-governance and other urban sector related fields.

Addressing the National Conferene on the Jawaharal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) Prime Minister (PM) Dr. Manmohan Singh said that he is very happy indeed to be present on the fourth anniversary of the launch of the JNNURM where he compliment his Cabinet colleagues, Jaipal Reddy and Kumari Selja for organizing the event and for providing leadership which spearheaded the success of this very important National Mission to Government.

PM added that for most developing countries, the 21st century will mark the transition from a primarily rural to a mainly urban economy. In many of these countries, more than half the population already lives in cities and towns. The transition has been somewhat slower in India but in the next 20 years, our urban population might well double. This is both a challenge and a unique opportunity and will require concerted action across all tiers of our federal system of governance if we are to meet this challenge head on and effectively, he added.

PM mentioned that in the four years since its launch, the JNNURM has fulfilled many of the expectations that we had of this historic initiative. The programme has succeeded in focusing the attention of our policy makers on issues of urban renewal as never before. The problems of urban areas and their sustained development are no longer accepted stoically; they are being tackled and beginning to be tackled effectively. PM said that the two Ministries of Urban Development and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation have approved projects and buses for urban transport worth Rs.1,03,462 crore for which the Central Government has committed assistance of Rs 55,625 crore. It is good that the focus of projects approved under the Mission has been on basic services like water supply, sewerage, drainage, solid waste management, improvement of slums and construction of houses for the urban poor, PM added.

City governments have prepared City Development Plans which have helped them - for the first time in many cases - to lay out a fresh vision and capital investment plans for their cities. Many of these cities are beginning to think big about the prospect of sustained development and modernization of their cities. PM reiterated government’s firm commitment to the development of urban sector. The commitment stems from the recognition that the balanced development of the urban sector is an integral part of our strategy of inclusive growth.

No vision of urban development can ever be complete without an effective, clean and sustainable urban transportation system. Bus Rapid Transport System projects have been approved under JNNURM. For the first time, the Government of India funded 15,260 modern and intelligent transport systems enabled buses for city transport for 61 mission cities as a part of the economic stimulus package. These initiatives will need to be subsumed under a holistic and comprehensive policy towards urban transport system.