Bhubaneswar, April 4: Odisha is pretty much the backbencher when it comes to executing and completing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) projects.
The Centre’s flagship programme to provide basic amenities to people of the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Puri under the JNNRUM ended on March 31. Doubts are being raised over whether the Centre would release further funds to the state to complete seven projects which were being executed under the scheme.
The programme was launched across India in selected cities under the JNNURM in 2005. While other states have performed satisfactorily, Odisha’s performance had been poor. Of the seven projects undertaken for Rs 832 crore, not a single one has been completed in the state.
The Centre-approved projects for the state include city bus service for Bhubaneswar (Rs 16.50 crore), conservation of Bindusagar heritage lake (Rs 6.10 crore), integrated sewer system for Bhubaneswar (Rs 498.91 crore), storm water drainage for Bhubaneswar (Rs 68.33 crore), city bus service for Puri (Rs 3.30 crore), storm water drainage for Puri (Rs 71.82 crore) and 24X7 water supply for Puri (Rs 166.90 crore). Officials could not immediately provide the amount already spent by the state government under JNNURM.
The city bus service in Bhubaneswar-Puri, started in 2010, and other projects are in different stages of implementation. Dream Sahara, in company set up in public-private partnership mode, has been entrusted with the job of operating 125 buses in the city.
Lack of proper planning and slow execution of work have led to the delay in the completion of the integrated sewer system for the capital city. Besides funding from the JNNURM, the state government is also getting money from other sources for the sewer system.
Under the programme of basic services to urban poor, the authorities were to built six housing infrastructure projects in two mission cities for Rs 68 crore. State’s secretary of the housing and urban development department Saurbha Garg said: “The Union cabinet has already extend the JNNURM projects for another two years.”
