Metro should not be an isolated option:Montek

Metro should not be an isolated option:Montek
Deccan Herald

The State government should respond well and on time to any query from the Union Urban Development Ministry on the infrastructure development proposals of the State, Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia noted on Wednesday.


The State government should respond well and on time to any query from the Union Urban Development Ministry on the infrastructure development proposals of the State, Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia noted on Wednesday.

Speaking after a breakfast meeting with Chief Minister Dharam Singh, which doubled as a presentation session on Bangalore and its infrastructure,

Mr Ahluwalia noted that though the Planning Commission has a role in ensuring infrastructure funding to states, the final authority is the Urban Development Ministry.

It is most likely that in the course of this financial year some proposals relating to Bangalore’s urban development will be cleared under the National Urban Renewal Mission (NURM), he said. He stressed that NURM will be a major source of funding for the states that are willing to take up urban sector reforms.

Metro Rail

Metro Rail for Bangalore is in the final stage of approval, he noted and assured that the Planning Commission will do whatever it can to expedite the process.

The Planning Commission views metro rails for major urban centres as logical in terms of transport infrastructure, he said, but cautioned that metro rail should not be an isolated option.

To a query on whether Bangalore can expect the Centre to support it in the same way it supported the Delhi Metro, he noted that the framework of agreement on Metro rails have changed since.

He maintained that they were sympathetic to the idea that the Centre should support the project. On reservations from the state’s coalition partner Janata Dal (Secular), he said, “if the project is implemented speedily, it will unfold a big change in infrastructure facilities in Bangalore.”

Mr Ahluwalia had a particular word of appreciation for BESCOM for its ‘strides in electricity distribution’.

The achievement should be made known widely, especially in the face of the power supply crisis in Delhi recently, he said.

Chief Minister Dharam Singh said, in view of elections to zilla and taluk panchayats, he had requested Mr Ahluwalia for time till January for commencing discussions on the plan size for the next year.

Areas in which the Centre’s assistance is expected are the clearance of NURM proposals, Rs 516 crore for arterial roads upgradation, the Metro rail project and upgradation of traffic infrastructure in Bangalore.

Karnataka has already prepared a Comprehensive Development Strategy Plan to avail NURM benefits, it was noted.