M'rashtra fixes Rs.843 cr for stalled projects

Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM)

Maharashtra government has decided to fund the completion of 18 projects stuck in the state under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The projects in question are largely related to water supply, sewerage, solid waste, and allied infrastructure in the state. They are spread across cities such as Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Thane, Nanded, Malvan, Nagpur, Dhule, etc. The state cabinet recently decided to contribute Rs.843 crore towards the projects and has set a target of completing them in the next two years. This includes its own contribution of Rs.333 crore towards the projects as per JNNURM norms as well as 80% of what was originally to be the Centre‘s contribution. Under JNNURM, the Union government was expected to contribute 50% of the cost of every project approved. Soon after the current government came into power at the Centre, it halted the JNNURM scheme and launched its own urban development scheme – the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). Since last year, the state Urban Development Department has been trying to complete infrastructure development projects being implementing by urban local bodies by helping them with resources, resolving obstacles, and taking regular reviews.