Just what the JNNURM needed

Involvement of elected representatives

danish

Danish Raza | February 21, 2011



Urban development minister Kamal Nath’s assurance to members of parliament (MPs) and members of legislative assembly (MLAs) that they will have a greater say in the implementation of the second phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) is a welcome step. 

Even a cursory reality check will reveal that the scheme has at best been a partial failure.

Of the 520 projects approved in 65 mission cities, only 53 have been accomplished.

The government sanctioned Rs 52,736 crore for the mission in the 11th Plan (2007-12). Less than half the amount has been utilised so far.

Punjab has fared the worst in implementing JNNURM. The state has drawn a paltry Rs 62 crore of the allocated Rs 617 crore. But even Delhi has availed Rs 750 crore of the allocated Rs 1,481, while Rajasthan has drawn Rs 500 crore of the Rs 808 crore available to it.

In the recent past, many MPs have attributed this failure to the fact that much of the fund allocation is done just on the basis of the demand made by the state’s urban development department and that the parliamentarians and assembly members are not kept in the loop.

The government claims that with the people’s representatives on board the second phase of the mission will be an improvement.

To begin with, the ministry will provide the MPs booklets containing the details of JNNURM implementation since its inception. To make sure the parliamentarians give regular feedback, the ministry has formulated a consultative committee.

Whatever the mechanism, things can only get better because elected representatives are sure to have more of a stake in the results on the ground than the bureaucrats.

Comments

 

Other News

Doctors, experts call for ban on junk food ads, mandate warning labels

More than 30 doctors, medical scientists and public health professionals have urged the government to take decisive action against the aggressive advertising and marketing of junk food, calling for a watershed ban on advertisements for foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) and ultra-processed foods (UPF

Asiatic Lion population rises from 523 in 2015 to 891 in 2025

On World Lion Day 2026, environment, forest and climate change Minister  Bhupender Yadav celebrated India’s remarkable journey in lion conservation and reaffirmed the country’s unwavering commitment to protecting wildlife and biodiversity.   In a post on soc

Railways imposed ₹5.13 crore fine for food quality and hygiene violations

Indian Railways serve about 58 crore meals every year on an average. About only 0.0008% food quality related complaints are received on average. Based on complaints during the last three years, appropriate penal actions have been taken by IRCTC. Such actions include imposition of fines amounting to ₹5.13

STHAVAR: Why every Indian built asset needs a permanent digital identity

India has built digital systems for identity, payments, taxation, documents, logistics and public services. State governments, ministries, infrastructure agencies and urban local bodies have also created portals for land records, building permissions, project monitoring, property taxation and municipal s

Saksham Skill census identifies 22,000 job-ready candidates in one Mumbai ward

A first-of-its-kind AI-enabled skill census conducted in Mumbai`s H-West Ward has identified a potential livelihood pipeline of nearly 22,000 candidates, generated over 32,000 provisional job matches while revealing that 71.2 per cent of surveyed homemakers are willing to join the workforce, according to

GI tags: Scaling traditional wealth into global brands

Geographical Indication (GI) tags have emerged as a powerful tool for protecting India`s cultural heritage, while creating economic opportunities for local communities. By linking products to their place of origin, GI tags preserve traditional knowledge, prevent misuse, and enhance consumer trust. They h

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter