The Hindu 11.11.2010
30 projects planned under Community Investment Fund
Staff Reporter
| Non-governmental organisations to take up the work |
VISAKHAPATNAM: Apart from infrastructure and basic services, the Centrally-sponsored Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission has projects to be taken up under the Community Investment Fund (CIF). The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation has been sanctioned 30 projects under it at a cost of Rs. 3 crores. Each project can be taken up at a maximum cost of Rs.10 lakhs, by non-governmental organisations.
The areas covered are water supply, solid waste management, livelihood creation, facilities for vendors and streetchildren. The project reports are sent to the Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas and will be finally sanctioned by the State government. The community has to contribute 10 per cent of the cost. After managing the project for a year, the NGO hands it over to the community.
“Since April when the programme began we have sent three project reports for approval. There is a dearth of NGOs for taking up the projects,” GVMC Urban Community Development (UCD) Project Director D.V. Ramana Murthy told The Hindu.
In water management infrastructure like a water tank is created and it has to be managed by the community by collecting user charges. They can also go in for construction of community lavatories. In solid waste management, the organic waste collected could be used for making manure, vermi compost and the inorganic, recycled. Income-generating activities like tailoring, ready-made dresses etc are encouraged.
Ten to 15 vendors may come together for creation of shop space that could be managed by them later.
Night shelters
Night shelters for streetchildren may also be taken up under the project. They could also double as shelters for the poor coming to the city for hospitals etc for overnight stay on nominal payment of fee.
Mr. Ramana Murthy says in each of the six zones five such projects are planned. The NGOs are being asked to submit project reports that suit the area in which they want to operate. No areas are specifically earmarked for the purpose.
