Deccan Herald 31.10.2013
Six more city corporations may come under JnNURM
The State government has sought Rs 10,400 crore
from the Centre for upgrading infrastructure facilities in the urban
local bodies (ULBs) in the State, excluding Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara
Palike, Urban Development Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake said on Tuesday.
Speaking
to reporters, he said the State government had proposed to take up,
among others, drinking water supply projects in 87 ULBs and underground
drainage projects in 47 ULBs. In addition to this, the government
recently submitted a Rs 5,200-crore proposal to the Centre for taking up
the second phase of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission
(JnNURM) in Bangalore and Mysore cities, he added.
Now,
population is not a criterion for including a ULB under JnNURM. The
State government has, therefore, proposed to include six more city
corporations under the mission. They are Hubli-Dharwad, Belgaum,
Bellary, Mangalore, Davangere and Gulbarga, he added.
There is a
need for a long-term planning for infrastructure in urban areas of the
State. Hence, the government has decided to prepare a separate master
plan for infrastructure development in each of the city corporations,
excluding BBMP, Sorake said.
fund of Rs 3,250 crore in the Urban Development department with an aim
to extend loans to ULBs for taking up infrastructure projects.
The Cabinet has already given its consent to it, he added.
Sorake
said the government is planning to form greater Mangalore city
corporation by including Mulki and Ullal towns, on the lines of Greater
BBMP. However, the proposal to form Greater Mysore has been shelved as
there was opposition to merge Srirangapatna town with Mysore city, he
said.
He said the government had directed the deputy
commissioners of Mandya and Ramanagar districts to send a proposal on
forming Mandya-Maddur and Ramanagar-Channapatna-Bidadi city
corporations. The direction has been issued following a demand from
local people in this regard, he added.
Besides, there is a
proposal to upgrade 15 town municipal councils into city municipal
councils, 18 taluk panchayats into town municipal councils and 164 gram
panchayats into taluk panchayats. The government will take a decision on
the proposal in about two months, he said.
Asked about the
long-pending proposal to merge urban development authorities with the
ULBs, the minister said the government does not have any such plan. “We
actually want to strengthen these authorities and enable them to provide
better services to the people,” he stated.
‘B’ khata in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi
Sorake
said the government was planning to introduce ‘B’ khata system in rural
areas (panchayat limits) on the lines of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara
Palike. However, there is no plan to introduce it in other ULB limits,
he added.
He said ‘B’ khata will be introduced on a pilot basis
in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. Later, it will be extended to
all districts, he added.