The Hindu 03.08.2009
Corporation to seek fund
Special Correspondent
| Under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission |
City Development Plan to form the basis for the projects to be drawn up
Consultants will be appointed, says Commissioner
TIRUCHI: Buoyed by the Centre’s decision to extend to the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) to urban local bodies with a population of five lakhs and above, officials of the Tiruchi Corporation are busy preparing proposals to be forwarded for financial assistance under the project.
The corporation has planned to seek over Rs.1,000 crores for major civic infrastructure development projects in the city.
Tiruchi, Salem and Tirupur Corporations have qualified for inclusion under the JNNURM consequent to the Union government’s decision to relax the population criteria.
Previously, urban local bodies with a population of 10 lakhs and above only were eligible to get assistance under the project.
Following a request from the Chief Minister, M.Karunanidhi and the Deputy Chief Minister, M.K.Stalin’s recent meeting with officials of the Union government, the Centre has now decided to include urban local bodies with a population above five lakhs under the project. Tiruchi City, as per the 2001 census, had a population of about 7.52 lakhs.
The Director of Municipal Administration has directed the Commissioner of the Corporation to come up with proposals to be discussed at a meeting this week.
Corporation officials were now working on drawing up the proposals.
A City Development Plan, already prepared by Community Consulting India Private Limited, will form the basis for the projects to be drawn up now.
The plan presents an assessment of the existing infrastructure of the city and its requirements over the next 30 years.
The Corporation had commissioned the consultant to prepare the plan to identify the development priorities of the city in anticipation of getting financial assistance under the JNNURM.
Speaking to The Hindu, Commissioner T.T.Balsamy indicated that the major projects that were proposed to be taken up under the JNNURM would include the extension of the underground drainage scheme to the suburban areas of the city, establishment of a state-of-the-art sewage treatment plant, a massive solidwaste improvement project and complete renovation of eight major drainages that serve as flood carriers during monsoon
The extension of the underground sewage system to the suburban areas was a felt need as most of the newly added residential colonies lack the facility now.
The new project was expected to be even bigger than the recently implemented underground drainage scheme, sanctioned at a cost of about Rs.100 crores under the National River Conservation Programme.
Mr.Balsamy said once the preliminary list of projects were finalised, consultants would be appointed to prepare detailed project reports for them individually.
