NURM of an idea: new look for CDP

NURM of an idea: new look for CDP
Projects Worth Rs 22,000 Cr Await Centre’s Permission
The Times of INdia

Bangalore: Just like the name, Bangalore to Bengaluru, the city’s infrastructure is set to undergo a massive haul. The City Development Plan (CDP) of Bangalore is being prepared for the second time, with a “sea change’’.
This CDP (not to be confused with BDA’s Comprehensive Development Plan) is getting spruced up and will be submitted to the Centre to be eligible for the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Reforms Mission, JN-NURM. The city’s metamorphosis into a global metropolis depends on the Centre’s approval of Bangalore’s CDP.
Between December 2005 and now, urban local bodies have learnt their lessons. Miffed by the Centre’s rejection of the earlier submitted City Development Strategy Plan, CDSP, the BMP has, this time around, cleaned up its act and come out with a CDP, which is apparently radically different from the previous one.
Explains BMP special commissioner Gaurav Gupta, “One of the grounds for rejecting the previous one was that a CDP is not merely a list of projects. So we have formulated 8 DPRs (detailed project reports) for NURM. There has been a complete rewriting of the CDP keeping in mind the guidelines that were prescribed. For instance, before submitting the plan for funds, we had to hold public discussions and debates. Accordingly, we had public meetings at the ward levels, involving legislators, resident welfare associations and NGOs. The priorities have been culled out from citizens.’’
In this CDP, the primary emphasis is on roads for the city, and funds allocated for this singularly stands at Rs 7,536 crore. The suggestions offered from the public fora have been distilled into sector-wise reforms. The draft CDP will then be sent to the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), for appraisal.
Till the final nod, projects
worth Rs 22,000 crore are here.
On blueprint.