Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

Major Thrusts to Urban Development

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh reviewed the progress of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and reiterated the need for State Governments to pay greater attention to the reform of urban governance and the modernization of urban infrastructure, with special focus on the lives of the poor in urban areas.

The Minister for Urban Development, Shri Jaipal Reddy informed the Prime Minister that some States had taken the initiative to implement programmes under JNNURM. As a result, of the sixty three cities that have prepared city development plans, six cities covered by the programme will now have 100% water supply. These are Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Vijayawada and Vishakapatnam. Four cities will be fully covered by modern sewerage systems. These are Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat and Vijayawada. Four cities will have systems for collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of wastes. These are Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow and Rajkot. Six cities will have improved Bus Rapid Transit Systems. These are Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Indore, Pune, Thane and Vijayawada. Four cities in the North East, namely, Aizwal, Gangtok, Itanagar and Shillong will have municipal bodies. Thirty Three cities have implemented e-governance reforms. Forty cities have earmarked funds for services to urban poor. Eleven cities have achieved 85% coverage efficiency in property tax collection, while eight cities have achieved 90%.

The meeting noted that there was very positive response from urban bodies to the JNNURM and urged State Governments to speed up the implementation of urban infrastructure development and municipal reform. The Prime Minister assured the meeting that adequate financial resources will be made available provided the commitments undertaken are fulfilled.