Central funds for city may dry up

Hyderabad

Sept. 6: Senior officials in the municipal administration and urban development department are apprehensive after the death of Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy.
They opine that the funds under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for infrastructure projects in the city may dry up after the former chief minister’s death. The projects are worth several crores of rupees. Crucial infrastructure projects like the master plan for execution of storm water drain network, sewerage lines and improvement of drinking water distribution network, all estimated to cost over Rs 10,000 crore are in the pipeline for JNNURM funds.
The phase-I of the Godavari drinking water project will cost at least Rs 3,300 crore and the state government had submitted a proposal to the Centre to accept it as a national project and fund it through JNNURM. Out of the 70,000 flats to be constructed for urban poor, the GHMC had taken up construction of 30,000 flats with money from JNNURM. It needs more money if the remaining houses are to be completed.
Moreover, the state has still not submitted utilisation certificates to the Centre. This is mandatory to draw subsequent instalments of sanctioned amounts for projects in progress.
During a public function, Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy had requested the Union urban development minister for Rs 10,000 crore to complete various projects in the
city.