Schemes under AMRUT scheme to be completed by Mar 2020:

The Bihar Assembly on Friday passed the Urban Development and Housing Department's budgetary demand of Rs 7,213.71 crore by voice vote amid a walkout by the opposition parties.

Urban Development and Housing minister Suresh Kumar Sharma said the government has set a target of completing all the schemes under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme by the end of March 2020 in the state.

The purpose of AMRUT scheme is to ensure every household have access to tap water and a sewerage connection besides stormwater drainage, develop green space/parks, reducing pollution by switching to public transport or constructing facilities for non-motorized transport.

Sharma said that the scheme is functional in cities having more than one lakh population in 12 municipal corporations areas including Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur and 14 municipal councils and one nagar panchayat of Bodhgaya.

Under AMRUT scheme, work is currently underway to provide tapped drinking water to 21 towns of municipal councils, the minister said, adding that the work is on in stormwater drainage in three cities of Patna, Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur to deal with the problem of waterlogging which is being built at a cost of Rs 240 crore.

Besides, 29 parks are being developed at a cost of Rs 36.27 crore in 21 cities/towns under AMRUT, he added.

With a view to develop Patna, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur and Bihar Sharif as 'smart city', the minister said that a total of Rs 1,000 crore will be earmarked for each of the city over a period of five years.

Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) has been set up for developing these cities as smart city, he said, adding that Rs 382.00 crore for Bhagalpur, Rs 112.50 crore for Muzaffarpur, Rs 380.00 crore for Patna and Rs 110.00 crore for Bihar Sharif has been allotted for their development.

The minister said the central government has already given its nod for the Patna Metro project and Patna Metro Rail Corporation Ltd has been set up as SPV for the purpose. He said two corridors with a total length of 31.29 km have been proposed to be built under the project.

East-West corridor (16.94 km) will start from Danapur to Mithapur via Patna railway junction while North-South corridor will start from Akashvani and will terminate at new ISBT in the state capital, the minister said.

While the cut motion moved by RJD member Lalit Kumar Yadav was rejected, the House passed the Urban Development department budget by voice vote.