New urban development mission to focus on sanitation

The central government will soon announce a new urban development mission in the place of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), with a focus on sewerage and sanitation, Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said here Friday.

He also said the central government would put in the public domain details like initial and revised cost, initial and revised date of completion and the reasons for delay as a measure of transparency for projects implemented by the Central Public Works Department.

He said: "The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission is coming to an end in 2014. A new mission will be launched shortly."

He said the new mission is in the final stages of consultations adding that to seek views of the state governments a meeting of the state ministers will be held soon.

Naidu said urban development will be successful if the state governments are also included in the scheme of things.

According to Naidu, the plan to build 100 smart cities too has reached final stages of consultation.

During his visit here, Naidu undertook detailed field inspection of the Chennai Metro Rail project and also had a detailed review meeting of the officials.

Referring to the request of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa to extend the metro project up to Tiruvottriyur, Naidu said he had told her that the matter would be considered positively.

Naidu said the first phase of Chennai Metro Rail project will be commissioned by March 2015 though officials promise him that it would be ready by this December.

To a question whether the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) -the elevated railway network- would be merged with Chennai Metro Rail Naidu said the issue has to be discussed with the Railways Ministry.