Centre stops JNNURM aid to Odisha

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 10:

The Centre has stopped financial assistance for the ongoing Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in Odisha.

However, it has made it clear that it would provide financial assistance for the five infrastructure projects under the Mission currently underway in Puri and Bhubaneswar.

The Centre has asked the state government to complete the ongoing project works by 2017.

The Centre had provided financial assistance to the state government for implementation of seven projects works under JNNURM in Puri and Bhubaneswar from 2005 to 2012. The project works included city bus service, conservation of Bindusagar tank, integrated sewerage and draining project in Bhubaneswar, drainage project and round-the-clock drinking water supply project in Puri and BSUP (Basic Services to the Urban Poor).

Of the seven projects, the state governmnet has been able to complete the city bus service and Bindusagar projects while the work for the remaining projects is yet to be completed.

The integrated sewerage and draining project in Bhubaneswar started in 2009 was scheduled for completion by March 2016. However, considering the tardy pace of work, there is no possibility of completing the project in the specified time frame.

Besides, the drainage project work which was targeted for completion in Bhubaneswar and Puri by February this year is still on.

The round-the-clock drinking water supply project in Puri which was scheduled for completion by March, 2014, is yet to be completed.

After closing the JNNURM in the country, the Centre has launched another alternative scheme—Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)— for development or urban infrastructure which has been approved by the Union Cabinet last month.

The Centre, under the new scheme has decided to include 500 cities. However, it is not yet known as to which cities of Odisha have been included in the scheme.