Mysore City Corporation Commissioner Dr K N Chandrashekhar said works worth Rs 1311 crore will be approved by March 2008 for various heads under JNNURM.

He shared this on Tuesday with the members of the media and Association of Concerned and Informed Citizens of Mysore (ACICM) who approached him regarding the delayed project proposals pertaining to JNNURM.

Commissioner said that the state government has agreed to set up a seperate cell for JNNURM with one executive engineer, one assistant engineer, one accountant and one software engineer. As per the project, Rs 1834 crore is being spent on Mysore with central government’s share being Rs 1679 crore. Members of ACICM said the city had only five years to use up the money since two years had already gone by.

Chandrashekhar said two schemes were already approved by the central government and amount was sanctioned. Drinking water scheme at a cost of Rs 194 crore has been approved by the centre and Rs 31.16 crore has already been released. Works will begin within a month’s time, he said.

The project for development of slums at a cost of Rs 45.62 crore was also approved and Rs 4.8 crore was released as first instalment. Slum Development Board will execute the project, he said.

Another scheme to supply Kabini water to the city has been estimated at Rs 90 crore.

Rapid transport system at Rs 113 crore and outer ring road connecting Bannur and Nanjangud at Rs 90.70 crorec -- all in all, Detailed Project Report (DPR) of 19 schemes and projects will be complete before December end, he said.

Though the agreement on JNNURM was reached by last year end, the real work began only this year. MCC is ready to pay its share of the money towards completion of the project and all steps will be taken to ensure flawless completion by 2012.

This includes redesigning of storm water drains and under ground drainage system, inner ring road stretching upto 27 kms, Rs 80 crore for the construction of two sub-ways, forestation of city at Rs 8 crore, another Rs 8 crore for conservation of lakes, water recycling units, modern butchery at Rs 10 crore and e-administration etc he said.

We have received about 400 applications towards constituting ward committees and they will be formed in about 15 days he said. ACICM organiser M Lakshman said Karnataka is lagging behind in using the JNNURM funds while Andhra Pradesh is getting atleast one scheme approved every month.

Mayor Dakshinamurthy said this is not loan, but allocation and it has to be used efficiently. ADB loan was taken for five years timeframe and extended it upto 10 years. Even then, Rs 5 crore went back.

This money should not be used callously like that, he said.

Journalist K B Ganapathy, Hebbal Industrialists Association President Vishwanath, Cheif Secretary Suresh Kumar Jain, ACICM Subbarao, Arun Kumar and others were present.