In a proactive step to address infrastructure issues in all urban local bodies in the State, the government will extend professional and financial support to them to prepare detailed project reports (DPRs) for the schemes identified. The decision comes in the wake of the finding that the major hurdle faced by the State in sourcing financial assistance from the Union government and external financing agencies was the lack of quality project reports.
The empowered committee of the Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project, the special purpose vehicle under the Local Self-government Department, chaired by Minister for Urban Affairs Manjalamkuzhi Ali on November 21, gave the nod for the scheme submitted by Project Director U.V. Jose.
A sum of Rs.39.54 crore will be given to the KSUDP for the scheme to be completed within one year. It is expected that projects of Rs.3,000 crore can be chalked out for seeking assistance.
The KSUDP will empanel professional consultants by January, and the local bodies can make use of them to identify priority project concepts. The project concepts approved by the State-level committee will be taken further for preparing the DPR. The payment to the consultants will be done by the KSUDP. “As the State could not submit good project reports in time, we were unable to source more financial assistance under schemes such as the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The new scheme will overcome this, and revolutionise the urban sector in the State,” the Minister said.
The scheme will largely help small and medium towns in the State to upgrade the infrastructure, including solid and liquid waste management, drainage, open space, pedestrian facilities, parking, markets, bus-stands, waterbodies, heritage, and sanitation. The scheme will help in identifying potential projects that can be taken up in the public-private partnership mode. The work will be undertaken in a time-bound manner, and project reports will be ready by November 2014, Mr. Jose said.