Planning Commission against JNNURM funds for GUDI

The government today said the Planning Commission and the Finance Ministry have not found it appropriate to support Gujarat Urban Development Institute (GUDI) and other resource centres with funds under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation minister Ajay Maken said this in the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.
"The expenditure on resource centres like GUDI is of capital nature, hence the Planning Commission and the Department of Expenditure (Ministry of Finance) have not found it appropriate to support them out of 5 per cent funds allocation under JNNURM which is meant for capacity building and identified initiatives," Maken said.

The GUDI, to be set up near Gandhinagar, will train manpower for civic bodies and carry out research in related areas. GUDI will also focus on technology and capacity-building in urban local bodies and start courses in urban development.