MUMBAI: Mumbai has to bear with its infrastructure woes for some more time. The Vilasrao Deshmukh government, which never gets tired of trumpeting its Shanghai dreams for Mumbai, admitted on Friday that the Centre is unlikely to sanction a majority of Mumbai’s infrastructure projects under the National Urban Renewal Mission (NURM) in ’06.
Jairaj Phatak, principal secretary, urban development, and also government spokesperson, told journalists that only two of the total seven projects proposed by the state are at an “advanced stage” at the Centre’s level. “The other projects are unlikely to be sanctioned this year,” Mr Phatak admitted.
This is for the first time that the state government has officially come out with information over the status of Mumbai’s NURM projects after submitting the proposals to the Centre. The two proposals that are at an advanced stage and being considered by the cabinet committee on economic affairs are Rs 1,600 crore Middle Vaitarana water supply project and Rs 2,376 crore sewerage disposal project.
It’s not, however, clear when these two projects would be given a nod. What is even more embarrassing for the state government is the Centre’s refusal to entertain three proposals on the ground they had several flaws.
“The Centre has pointed out several flaws in the detailed project reports (DPR) of three proposals that we had submitted. It wants us to send revised DPRs which we will do by October 31 this year,” Mr Phatak said. The government spokesperson did not elaborate on the “several flaws”.
The Centre has pointed out flaws in DPRs of Rs 1,834.69 crore Mumbai Urban Infrastructure Project (MUIP), Rs 1,298 crore action plan for development and projection of Mithi river, and Rs 852 crore Thane Metro project. Mr Phatak said Mumbai’s proposals of first phase of Mumbai metro project and Worli-Bandra sea-link project were being considered by Centre.
The Rs 1800-crore Brimstowad (Brihanmumbai storm water drain) project, which is key to Mumbai’s infrastructure overhaul, is not being considered by the Centre under NURM, Mr Phatak said. “We have urged the Centre to fully fund the Brimstowad project under some other scheme as projects under NURM are entitled for only 35% funding by the Centre,“ Mr Phatak said.
The government had submitted the seven NURM proposals in March ’06. In Maharashtra, Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, and Nanded are among the 63 urban conglomerates chosen under NURM. Besides Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune also submitted their NURM proposals in March ’06 and the Centre has even sanctioned them.
The government enlisted reasons why only Mumbai’s projects were put on hold for such a long time. “Each of Mumbai’s projects has an outlay of more than Rs 1,000 crore. The Centre’s scrutiny is lot more stringent for big projects,” Mr Phatak said.
Source : ET
Jairaj Phatak, principal secretary, urban development, and also government spokesperson, told journalists that only two of the total seven projects proposed by the state are at an “advanced stage” at the Centre’s level. “The other projects are unlikely to be sanctioned this year,” Mr Phatak admitted.
This is for the first time that the state government has officially come out with information over the status of Mumbai’s NURM projects after submitting the proposals to the Centre. The two proposals that are at an advanced stage and being considered by the cabinet committee on economic affairs are Rs 1,600 crore Middle Vaitarana water supply project and Rs 2,376 crore sewerage disposal project.
It’s not, however, clear when these two projects would be given a nod. What is even more embarrassing for the state government is the Centre’s refusal to entertain three proposals on the ground they had several flaws.
“The Centre has pointed out several flaws in the detailed project reports (DPR) of three proposals that we had submitted. It wants us to send revised DPRs which we will do by October 31 this year,” Mr Phatak said. The government spokesperson did not elaborate on the “several flaws”.
The Centre has pointed out flaws in DPRs of Rs 1,834.69 crore Mumbai Urban Infrastructure Project (MUIP), Rs 1,298 crore action plan for development and projection of Mithi river, and Rs 852 crore Thane Metro project. Mr Phatak said Mumbai’s proposals of first phase of Mumbai metro project and Worli-Bandra sea-link project were being considered by Centre.
The Rs 1800-crore Brimstowad (Brihanmumbai storm water drain) project, which is key to Mumbai’s infrastructure overhaul, is not being considered by the Centre under NURM, Mr Phatak said. “We have urged the Centre to fully fund the Brimstowad project under some other scheme as projects under NURM are entitled for only 35% funding by the Centre,“ Mr Phatak said.
The government had submitted the seven NURM proposals in March ’06. In Maharashtra, Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, and Nanded are among the 63 urban conglomerates chosen under NURM. Besides Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune also submitted their NURM proposals in March ’06 and the Centre has even sanctioned them.
The government enlisted reasons why only Mumbai’s projects were put on hold for such a long time. “Each of Mumbai’s projects has an outlay of more than Rs 1,000 crore. The Centre’s scrutiny is lot more stringent for big projects,” Mr Phatak said.
Source : ET
