Indian Express 18.11.2009
Press for more JNNURM funds: civic activist to MLAs
A day after seven, out of the eleven MLAs from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, vocalised their different political agenda, civic activist Vivek Velankar has demanded that the MLAs should first press and acquire Rs 190 crore as state’s share for the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) funds, as it was still pending with the state.
On Monday, the MLAs Girish Bapat (Kasba Peth), Vinayak Nimhan (Shivajinagar), Vilas Lande (Bhosari), Chandrakant Mokate (Kothrud), Madhuri Misal (Parvati), Mahadev Babar (Hadapsar) and Bapu Pathare (Wadgaon Sheri) participated in a meet the press programme, organised by the Pune Union of Working Journalists,. All the present MLAs expressed that the civic body should increase their participation on development issues. While congratulating these MLAs over the unity, Velankar demanded that the MLAs should get the due amount from the state government.
Velankar said, “Under the tag of JNNURM, PMC was sanctioned Rs 2,500 crore. In the last two years, PMC has spent around Rs 1,000 crore. The state government owes Rs 190 crore to PMC. PMC had also applied to the state for its approval to get a loan of Rs 176 crore, which it finally approved on Monday.”
