Extension likely
THE Centre may extend the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (jnnurm) beyond 2012, its current deadline. Planned with the objective of better cities and projects for the urban poor, the Rs 50,000 crore mission applies to 63 cities.
"The planning commission is happy with the results. More funds would be given to the mission," said M Ramachandran, secretary, Union urban development ministry, at a conference on municipal services in Mumbai. The planning commission would assess a review of the mission's impact on cities. An audit firm would do the review.
Highlighting the importance of an independent assessment, Mukesh Mathur, professor at the National Institute of Urban Affairs in Delhi, said, "jnnurm is among the best urban development programmes. But it has led to an imbalance--infrastructure projects and slums--within the same city. We also need to think in terms of a separate reforms agenda for states like Jharkhand and the north eastern states." So far, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka have the highest number of projects under the mission to better water supply, sewerage and roads.
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