Mannina Mommaga pitches for urban infrastructure

Mannina Mommaga pitches for urban infrastructure
DH News Service Bangalore
By Kavitha Kushalappa

Side by side with the provisions for fulfilling the promise on infrastructure improvements as held out in the Common Minimum Action Plan of the JD (S)-BJP combine, the forthcoming State budget is expected to reflect the government’s support to a host of urban development programmes that are mooted and part-funded by the Centre and also the externally funded programmes.

Side by side with the provisions for fulfilling the promise on infrastructure improvements as held out in the Common Minimum Action Plan of the JD (S)-BJP combine, the forthcoming State budget is expected to reflect the government’s support to a host of urban development programmes that are mooted and part-funded by the Centre and also the externally funded programmes.

Under the externally funded programmes are Karnataka Urban Water Sector Improvement Programme (KUWSIP) and Karnataka Municipal Reforms Project (KMRP) funded by the World Bank; and North Karnataka Urban Sector Investment Programme (NKUSIP) and Karnataka Urban Development and Coastal Environment Management (KUDCEM) funded by the Asian Development Bank.

Among the Centrally mooted programmes for which matching contribution is required from the State are Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JN-NURM), Urban Infrastructure Development of Small and Medium Towns (UIDSMT) and Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme (IHSDP).


The required allocation for these programmes in the forthcoming year reportedly sums up to around Rs 475 crore.

Urban Development department sources noted that the Rs 1,268 crore KMRP and the Rs 1,800 crore NKUSIP will be of particular importance over the next year as nearly Rs 500 crore of external assistance is expected to flow in. The State’s share in these externally-aided projects is to the order of 20 to 30 per cent, sources said.

Officials noted that investment support to the municipal bodies concerned is a prominent component of the KMRP and prominent among the 33 local bodies where KMRP will be implemented are the seven City Municipal Councils around Bangalore. It was pointed out that under the retro-active financing clause, the development of four roads linking these CMCs to Bangalore City centre is already underway.

Regional imbalance

A total of 25 towns - 23 backward towns in North Karnataka belt, besides Chamarajnagar and Davangere, are slated for development under NKUSIP. The programme addresses the regional imbalance as pointed out by Dr D M Nanjundappa Committee report, official sources observed.

Bangalore and Mysore which have been chosen for development assistance under JN-NURM, require the State government to contribute 15 per cent and 20 per cent respectively. For the projects to be taken up under the Sub Mission category - basic services to the urban poor, the State government is required to pitch in 50 per cent and 20 per cent for Bangalore and Mysore respectively.

Second-tier cities

Both UIDSMT and IHSDP requires the State government to pitch in 20 per cent of the individual project cost. UIDSMT is basically aimed at second-tier cities. Hubli-Dharwad is prominent among the cities likely to figure under it. The IHSDP is, meanwhile, defined as a programme aimed at non-JN NURM cities.

Following the release of the Common Minimum Action Plan on Wednesday, sources close to the political establishment noted that father Deve Gowda’s pitch on rural development is beside the point for son and Chief Minister H D Kumaaraswamy, who is well aware that world class development of Bangalore and other cities is a must if development is to percolate effectively to the rural limits.

The industry segment in its pre-budget discussions with the government is also learnt to have pitched in for inter-connectivity with tier-two cities such Hubli-Dharwad, Mangalore and Mysore.

HIGHLIGHTS

Thrust to second-tier cities like Hubli-Dharwad.

Urban services development in coastal towns and backward towns of north Karnataka.

Matching contribution to projects under Urban Renewal Mission.

Contribution to ADB and WB-funded projects