But here under NURM, files have to take much longer route tf

But here under NURM, files have to take much longer route
The Times of INdia


Bangalore: For the ambitious infrastructure projects and reforms under the National Urban Renewal Mission, NURM, getting even a single project cleared could turn out to be an herculean task. For the file has to go through four different agencies.

Even as the Centre has called for committees to prepare the Comprehensive Development Strategy Plan (CDSP) for various cities, under the NURM, Bangalore is in a vantage position because the CDSP is already in place. The guidelines released on December 2 by the Ministry of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation has decreed that all the identified 60 cities including the seven mega cities, prepare a CDSP identifying the sectors that need development. To bring in order, the government has set up numerous bodies to sanction projects.

At the Central level, two departments — a national level steering committee and central sanctioning and monitoring committee — will monitor and will be in-charge of approving projects. Furthermore, the state level steering committee will have CM as chairman.

The state government would also designate a nodal agency which inter-alia would appraise projects. Officials in the BMP contend that this effectively translates to a particular project taking on a circuitous route just for approvals. For instance, the Rs 10 crore Hebbal valley project has been ready for months now but is awaiting clearance from departments at the state and Central level.

Community participation:

A key recommendation of the NURM guidelines is to involve the very community the reforms are for. Enactment of community participation law and introducing the concept of area sabhas is a major recommendation. With area sabhas, each ward would have sub-committees who are supposed to be involved in decision making.

Hubli-Dharwad in the race:

From Karnataka, Bangalore and Mysore are the selected cities with Bangalore billed a mega-city.