The Financial Express 14.12.2009
Revamped urban scheme for rural areas soon
Press Trust of India
Posted: Monday, Dec 14, 2009 at 2314 hrs IST
New Delhi: The government has restructured its programme of providing urban amenities to rural areas (PURA), the pet project of former president APJ Abdul Kalam, and it may soon be implemented all over the country.
The ‘restructured’ scheme will soon go to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for approval, official sources said.
The PURA scheme was implemented on the pilot basis from 2004-05 for a period of three years in seven clusters; one each in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh.
The pilot phase of PURA scheme was experimental in nature aimed at drawing an experience which could be utilised for restructuring the scheme in future, an official of the rural development ministry said.
PURA proposes that urban infrastructure and services be provided in rural hubs to create economic opportunities outside cities.
The philosophy behind PURA is connectivity for greater good of the countryside with the belief that an integrated approach in this regard will ensure economic connectivity, the official said. The scheme envisages physical connectivity by providing roads, electronic connectivity through communication network and knowledge connectivity by establishing professional and technical institutions, he added.
During the pilot phase of PURA, the budget provision for each year of 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 was Rs 10 crore, official said.
Projects like construction of roads, drinking water supply and setting up of Anganwadi centres were taken up at the clusters identified in the seven states, he added. Against the release of a total of Rs 30 crore, the state governments have reported to have incurred an expenditure of Rs 25.54 crore in completion of various projects taken up under the scheme.
