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Nuts and bolts

  • 30/08/2006

Nuts and bolts jnnurm aims "to encourage reforms and put planned development of identified cities on a fast track. The focus is on creating efficiency of urban infrastructure and service delivery mechanisms, community participation, and accountability of ulbs/parastatal agencies towards citizens'. Among the objectives of this mission are creating integrated development of infrastructure services; establishing linkages between asset-creation and asset-management; scaling up delivery of civic amenities; and providing basic services to the urban poor.

Of the 63 cities the Centre has identified, there are seven mega cities (more than four million people as per the 2001 census) including Delhi, Greater Mumbai and Bangalore; 28 million-plus cities; and another 28 cities with less than a million people. All the cities must have elected bodies in place to access jnnurm funds.

jnnurm has two sub-missions: one for urban infrastructure and governance (uig) administered by the Union ministry of urban development (moud); and one for basic services to the urban poor (bsup) administered by the Union ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation (mohupa).

The main thrust of the uig sub-mission is on infrastructure projects relating mainly to water supply and sanitation, and sewerage. The bsup sub-mission focuses on integrated development of slums. The Centre has issued a list of admissible and inadmissible projects under jnnurm (see table: Project parameters). Apart from these sub-missions, the Centre has also launched two programmes, the Urban Infrastructure Development

jnnurm has two sub-missions: one for urban infrastructure and governance (uig) administered by the Union ministry of urban development (moud); and one for basic services to the urban poor (bsup) administered by the Union ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation (mohupa).

The main thrust of the uig sub-mission is on infrastructure projects relating mainly to water supply and sanitation, and sewerage. The bsup sub-mission focuses on integrated development of slums. The Centre has issued a list of admissible and inadmissible projects under jnnurm (see table: Project parameters). Apart from these sub-missions, the Centre has also launched two programmes, the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns and Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme, for cities not covered by jnnurm.

To avail funds under jnnurm, city authorities must prepare development plans and detailed project reports. While the former is a 20-25 year vision document defining the direction in which the city wishes to go and by what route, the reports are for specific projects.

Of the total Rs 50,000 crore available under jnnurm, 5 per cent has been set aside as central grants for preparing plans and reports, training and capacity-building, and community participation. Another 5 per cent has been set aside for administrative expenses.

What need?
"Urbanisation is growing at a rapid pace and all this while we have ignored our urban areas. Our cities are facing extreme decay; hence jnnurm is a welcome programme that will transform the face of urban India. This is the first large-scale programme of the Government of India that studies cities in a comprehensive manner. Things are bound to change for good,' says R Rajamani, jnnurm mission director and joint secretary, moud, New Delhi.

Statistics support Rajamani's viewpoint. Urban India is witnessing phenomenal growth. According to the 2001 census, India has a population of 1,027 million with approximately 28 per cent, or 285 million people, living in urban areas (see graph: Growing fast). The share of urban population may increase to about 40 per cent of total population by the year 2021. Union minister of state for urban development Ajay Maken recently quoted figures as high as 75 per cent urban population by 2021. It is also estimated that by 2011 urban areas would contribute about 65 per cent of the country's gdp according to mohupa's

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