Bhubaneswar: The state housing and urban development department has prepared a rigorous nine-step guideline for timely execution of planned urban infrastructure projects, including road, drain, and street light, under the government's Unnati scheme.

The department guideline contains nine parameters - planning, permissible sector, selection of executing agencies, sanction of the works, release of funds, utilisation of funds, transfer of asset after completion, citizen information board and monitoring and evaluation - that would be taken into consideration while executing the projects.

As part of the arrangement, the respective District Urban Development Agency will monitor the project execution while the state's 112 urban local bodies, including the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, would work under it. The District Urban Development Agency will evaluate the merits of proposed projects submitted by the urban local bodies before signing off or rejecting those.

"The Unnati scheme is meant to develop the state's urban infrastructure. We have already identified the sectors for utilising Unnati funds. We have also allotted more funds to the municipal wards under the scheme. We felt that the guideline was needed to ensure an error and corruption free practice," said a department official.

The respective District Urban Development Agency will prepare a list and a project report for different works in consultation with the civic bodies and other stakeholders. It will then select the executing agency, keeping in view its track record and other expertise. Once the work is sanctioned, it will release the funds.

The department has also directed the agency officials to keep a registry of project records that would contain details of date-wise funds sanction, release and utilisation. Besides, a public information board will also be put up at the project site with required information to ensure greater transparency.

The government launched the scheme last August to ensure 100 per cent coverage of all roads with LED bulbs, complete piped water supply to households and conversion of earthen roads to bituminous or concrete roads.

Improvement of social infrastructure, including construction or renovation of natural water bodies, parks, vending zones, community centres and crematoria are also included in the scheme.

"We have been identifying the works to be taken up under the scheme," said Bhuba-neswar mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

"We have asked our councillors and officials to look into the areas that require improvement and we will utilise the funds incurred from the Unnati scheme. We will analyse and scrutinise the list according to rules in a transparent manner," he said.