URBAN TRANSPORT, HOUSING AND URBAN SECTOR REFORMS GETS PRIORITY
METRO
RAIL PROJECT TO BE REPLICATED ACROSS THE COUNTRY
URBAN TRANSPORT
With the rapid
expansion of urban population urban infrastructure especially
transport has attracted special attention of the policy makers.
Union Government has constituted a Task Force on Urban Transport
to work out a policy by June. 2003.
Delhi Metro:
End of the year
2002 saw the long awaited dream project of Delhi, the Metro
Rail starting its services in the Shahdara-Tis Hazari sector.
First phase of Delhi Metro which is 63 km. long, is expected to
be completed by the year 2005 at a cost of Rs.10571 crore. The
advantages of this project is that number of buses on roads will
diminish thus saving fuel costs to the tune of Rs.500 crores /year
and reduce air and noise pollution with fewer road accidents.
Metro Rail is truly convenient and economical with high-tech automatic
fare collection system, heavy-duty escalator in stations and smart
card ticket system.
This technological
marvel promising international experience in intra-city travel
for Delhites has been made possible with financial and technical
support of Japan & Korean Governments. It was described as
a model of international and center-state cooperation by the Prime
Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee after inaugurating its services
recently. Union Government proposes to extend the Metro Rail facility
to 35 million+ cities if the state governments come forward with
project reports.
HOUSING
Valmiki Ambedkar
Awas Yojana (VAMBAY) was launched by the Prime Minister on 2nd
December 2001 for providing shelter/upgraded shelter to the urban
slum dwellers living below poverty line including those belonging
to economically weaker sections. It also has a component on sanitation,
water supply, and community toilets known as Nirmal Bharat
Abhiyan. Special feature of the scheme is that the title
plot would be in the name of the woman or jointly with her husband.
Total subsidy released by Government of India in the last four
months of financial year 2001-02 was Rs. 73.56 crore for construction
of 28,000 houses in 16 states. During the current financial year
Rs. 256 crore has been allocated. Since its inception, 106038
dwelling units and 20817 toilet seats have been constructed under
the scheme.
VAMBAY Scheme at
a Glance
|
Town Size
|
Cost of dwelling
unit (area 15 sqm.)
|
GOI subsidy
ceiling
|
Average monthly
instalment on 15 year re-payment basic.
|
|
Population
below 10 lakhs.
|
Rs. 40,000/-
|
Rs. 20,000/-
|
Rs. 215/-
|
|
Population
above 10 lakhs
|
Rs. 50,000/-
|
Rs. 25,000/-
|
Rs. 270/-
|
|
Mega cities
of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad
|
Rs. 60,000/-
|
Rs. 30,000/-
|
Rs. 320/-
|
HUDCO has been
upgraded as Schedule "A" company and its authorized
capital has been increased from Rs. 1250 crores to Rs. 2500 crore.
It is proposed to setup one HUDCO seat in every state.
DEVELOPMENT OF
NATIONAL CAPITAL
Initiatives for
permanent resettlement of squatters with basic civic amenities;
action against illegal construction in posh colonies; stopping
proliferation of farm houses; checking illegal construction and
conversions in DDA flats; regulating the use of Government bungalows
by political parties; action against sub-letting of Government
houses and garages; saving monuments and buildings of historical
importance were taken.
Delhi Development
Authority cleared the entire backlog in case of conversion from
leasehold to freehold plots/flats to the tune of 69,000 and 36,600
respectively.
Vijay Veer
Awas Yojana:
The DDA has constructed
414 three storeyed flats (312, two bedroom and 102, three bedroom
flats) in Dwarka under the Vijae Veer Awas Yojana
for allotment to the widows/next of kin/dependents of soldiers
killed or permanently disabled in "Operation Vijay".
The scheme is open till 31.12.2002 and is also extended to accommodate
those killed or permanently disabled in "Operation"
after May 1999. DDA has fixed a subsidized rate of Rs. 4 lakh
for 2 bedroom flat and Rs. 6 lakh for 3 bedroom flat.
TRANSPARENCY &
E-GOVERNANCE
A comprehensive
database of all land allotments made by the Land & Development
office since 1930 to July 2002 have been posted on the following
websites http/urbanindia.nic.in and http. /ldo.nic.in
Interactive Voice
Response System and Website for the CPWD was launched and E-Governance
project in 3658 urban local bodies were started. Government of
India and Netherlands have signed a consortium for capacity building
programme that includes both conventional training and E-Learning.
All the 73000 elected representatives and half a million officials
of local bodies would be trained in municipal administration,
accounting, best practices, etc.
URBAN SECTOR REFORMS
In order to encourage
reforms in urban sector, a reform-linked fund with an initial
outlay of Rs. 500 crore titled Urban Reform Incentive Fund
has been launched. The following areas of reform would be encouraged
through financial assistance. Rent control laws, Urban Land Ceiling
Act, Rationalization of stamp duty, revision of municipal laws
as per model legislation, levying of user charges.
To support one
million plus cities in meeting transitional costs while moving
towards sustainable and creditworthy institutional system of municipal
management and service delivery and sectoral reforms City
Challenge Fund has been constituted.
State Level
Pooled Finance Development Scheme has been launched to
facilitate access to market by a group of small and medium size
urban local bodies through a state level intermediary.
Public-Private
Partnership by way of privatization and by contracting out service
delivery to private operators is being contemplated and guidelines
are under formulation.
Government has permitted
Foreign Direct Investment up to 100% for development of integrated
townships including housing, commercial premises, hotels, resorts,
city and regional level urban infrastructure facilities such as
roads and bridges, mass rapid transit system and manufacturing
of building materials. Development of land and providing allied
infrastructure will form an integrated part of township development.
Permission to M/s Feedback Integrated Developers Pvt. Ltd., New
Delhi has been granted for setting up an Integrated Residential
township at Gurgaon, Haryana at a cost of Rs. 700 crores.
INFRASTRUCTURE
DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHEAST
As part of the
continuing effort for development of housing and urban infrastructure
in North-Eastern States including Sikkim, a Task Force, chaired
by Urban Development Minister, has already approved several projects
for strengthening the water supply and drainage systems, facilitating
eco-friendly disposal of garbage, providing new water supply schemes
and market infrastructure and developing new townships and housing
infrastructure in the region. This initiative is among the first
concrete steps to utilize the Non-Lapsable Pool created by the
Government for the North-East. As a direct result of this proactive
approach, the Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation
has been able to fully utilize the budget available for the year
2001-02 and will be able to repeat its performance this year.
In the year 2001-02 Rs. 82.50 crores were released to the North-Eastern
States while 22 projects at a total estimated cost Rs., 159 crores
were sanctioned.
Asian Development
Bank has also been requested to prepare "urban profiles"
for the North-Eastern States including Sikkim.
MISCELLANEOUS
Government is finalizing
the Master Pan of Delhi – 2021 based on the assessment of the
current problems, to meet the needs and aspirations of growing
population keeping in view the success achieved under Master Plan
of Delhi 2001. 13 sub groups of experts have been constituted
to examine different functional aspects of Delhi like infrastructure,
land use, industrial development, shelter, trade, traffic, etc.
Draft National Capital
Regional Plan - 2021 is being finalized . Additional areas are
proposed to be added to the National Capital Region to increase
it from 30,242 sq. km. area to 33,578 sq. km.
The Gadakari Committee
constituted by the Ministry has submitted its first report recommending
trimming up of various procedures to make CPWD more efficient
with less red-tapism.
