Metro Rail has no place on State’s ‘priority list’

Metro Rail has no place on State’s ‘priority list’
Deccan Herald

A Comprehensive Development Strategy Plan has identified projects to be completed latest by 2010 under the NURM project.

The State government is armed with a Rs 10,779 crore plan to avail infrastructure development assistance from the Centre under the National Urban Renewal Mission (NURM) project. The plan however does not include the Bangalore Metro Rail project.

“The State government is yet to decide whether to seek NURM assistance for the Rs 6,000-crore Metro Rail,” sources said.

Storm water drains (SWDs) and roads, reportedly, top ‘a priority’ list being drawn up by the State government based on the needs identified in the plan. The priority list is in the order in which the funds may be allocated, sources explained. The plan is also exclusive of the Rs 3,700-crore water supply and sanitation related works that the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) plans to take up with the assistance of the Japan Bank for International Co-operation and others.

Advance preparation

The Comprehensive Development Strategy Plan (CDSP) as the Rs 10,779-crore plan is called, is “preparation in advance” as the Centre is yet to announce the final guidelines for availing assistance under NURM. “The CDSP is prepared based on the draft guidelines of NURM,” explained sources closely connected with its preparation and expressed confidence that the final guidelines would call for little revision in the CDSP.

“At the most, the final guidelines may ask the urban bodies for some kind of financial sustainability measures. Hitherto such measures were not normally a part of city development plans,” observed one of the sources.

According to NURM’s draft guidelines the infrastructure projects funded by it shall have a time frame of not more than five years, the CDSP has accordingly identified projects to be completed latest by 2010.

The CDSP has been prepared by consultants Urban First on the request of Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP). It is essentially an identification of the long term infrastructure requirements of Bangalore and the eight other urban local bodies that surround it. Water, sanitation, solid waste management, roads, transport network and e-governance requirements have been assessed.

As per the NURM project figuring in the current Union Budget, the Centre will pitch in, as a grant, with 35 per cent of the cost of major infrastructure projects in mega cities. The respective State governments will pitch in with 15 per cent while the rest will be borne by urban local bodies.