The Hindu 07.01.2010
Officials draw flak for delay in execution of JNNURM projects
Special Correspondent
| Errant officials to face criminal cases under the Public Nuisance Act |
— PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM 
Making a point: Deputy Commissioner P. Manivannan (third from right) at a meeting to review the implementation of JNNURM projects in Mysore on Wednesday.
MYSORE: Officials responsible for implementing various projects under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) were chastised for the delay in execution of works at a review meeting here on Wednesday.
Deputy Commissioner P. Manivannan, who is also the special officer in-charge of JNNURM projects for Mysore, took the officials to task at the meeting.
He criticised the officials and the Slum Clearance Board for the delay in the completion of the project to rehabilitate slum-dwellers. Mr. Manivannan said that if the project meant for public welfare continued to be bogged down by bureaucratic delay he would be forced to slap criminal cases against the officials under the Public Nuisance Act.
The officials and contractors executing other projects too were cautioned against delay.
A case in point is the JNNURM project to rehabilitate slum-dwellers at Metagalli. Similarly, work on a bus stand and depot at Vijayanagar, which was pending clearance from the Mysore City Corporation, is yet to commence. The officials were directed to expedite work on the project given its public importance.
It was announced that the first list of beneficiaries under the slum rehabilitation project would be decided on January 11.
Meanwhile, M. Lakshman of the Association of Concerned and Informed Citizens of Mysore (ACICM) referred to the additional grant of Rs. 1,000 crore likely to be released to Mysore under JNNURM as announced some time ago by A.H. Vishwanath, MP. However, the authorities are yet to receive any official communication on this.
But Mr. Manivannan said that if it was true, a coordination committee would be constituted to ascertain how best the funds could be utilised. Mr. Lakshman said that the city’s transport infrastructure had to be streamlined with thrust on revamping the public transport system and beefing up infrastructure in view of the projected growth of the city and ensuring that traffic congestion did not become a bottleneck for its future growth. Mr. Lakshman urged the Deputy Commissioner to prepare a detailed project report to streamline traffic infrastructure and utilise at least 75 per cent of the funds towards beefing up transportation and related-infrastructure.
