"Ahmedabad adjudged best city to support urban poor under JnNURM"
"State Government takes remarkable steps in implementing schemes to provide basic services to urban poor"New Delhi: After being rated as India’s best mega city by a national newspaper through an exclusive poll barely three days ago, Ahmedabad today bagged the national award in the category of “Best City in the Implementation of Basic Services to Urban Poor (BSUP)” under Jawaharlal Nehru National Renewal Mission scheme.
Ahmedabad bagged the national award in the category of “Best City in the Implementation of Basic Services to Urban Poor (BSUP)” under Jawaharlal Nehru National Renewal Mission scheme. Gujarat Urban Development Minister Shri Nitinbhai Patel and Ahmedabad Mayor Shri Asit Vora jointlyreceiving the award and cheque of Rs. 3 from Union Urban Development Minister Shri Kamal Nath at a function held here on Tuesday.
The award was jointly received by Gujarat Urban Development Minister Shri Nitinbhai Patel and Ahmedabad Mayor Shri Asit Vora from Union Urban Development Minister Shri Kamal Nath at the sixth yearly conference held here. Besides the award, Government of Gujarat also received a cheque of Rs 3 lakh as incentive.
The city of Ahmedabad has been appreciated for successfully implementing and facilitating basic services to urban poor under JnNURM. The jointly concerted efforts of the Gujarat Government, Government of India and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation have borne great results in giving a facelift to the city’s physical and civic infrastructure through various schemes.
Under JnNURM, a whopping Rs 523.95 crore has been approved for constructing 32,640 houses, out of which 28,522 dwelling units have already been constructed and 24,052 units have also been allotted to beneficiaries. Earlier, the Municipal Corporation of Ahmedabad had also received a national award for “Innovations in Services to Urban Poor (Housing)” from Government of India.
Receiving the award, Gujarat Urban Development Minister Shri Nitinbhai Patel said that the State Government has started “Swarnim Jayanti Mukhyamantri Shahery Vikas Yojna” in 2009 investing Rs.7000 crores for providing basic amenities to all who are residing in urban areas. This reform driven policy aimed to fulfill all basic needs of urban poor also.
Moreover, the Government of Gujarat has approved seven townships under Housing Township Policy, 2009. This will attract an investment of Rs.13650 crores and more than 1 lakh houses will be constructed under the project.
Giving details of the schemes for poor people, Shri Patel stated that Gujarat Government had organized 72Garib Kalyan Melaswherein Rs.435 crores were distributed to two lakh beneficiaries.
The Government of Gujarat has successfully implemented the ‘Insitu Development Model’ to provide houses and basic amenities to the population livinginslums. The State Government has also focused upon rehabilitating the displaced families in the cities.
The minister pointed out that the Government of Gujarat has taken laudable steps to resolve the serious problem of urbanization and urban planning. It is noteworthy that the budget provision of Rs. 126 crores made in 2004-05 for Urban Development Department has been increased by 24 folds to Rs.3030 crores.
Shri Patel further informed that the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has constructed two ring roads at the outskirts of the city to address the traffic logjam at the entry and exit points. Such schemes shall be implemented in other cities as well to control traffic congestion with the aid of Central Government. To maintain sustainable standards of cleanliness and efficient sewage disposal in smaller cities, the Government of India should allot adequate funds to the State Government to facilitate scientific disposal of solid waste and liquid waste.
Shri I.P. Gautam, Principal Secretary (Urban Development Department), Shri Guruprasad Mohapatra, Commissioner, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and other senior officers attended the function.
