'Misplaced priority' hampers JnNURM projects

Many proposals sent to State Government are still pending

Mysore is the only city after Bangalore to have been selected for this scheme, as it is being one of the important heritage cities in the nation.

The city, so far, has received crores of rupees for various schemes in the last two to three years. As per the guidelines, the funding stops in December 2012 before which all the works should be completed.

However, with the present pace of works it is doubtful whether the city would be able to utilise all the funds given by the Centre the overall development. Although many works have been going on many of them were not at all visible.

The only work that was completed and being put into use has been modernisation of both the bus stands.

A senior officer, on the condition of anonymity, told Deccan Herald that the works were not at all being taken up on priority basis because of which the citizens have been under the impression that nothing is happening in the city. In some instances, it is true also.

The Union Government has stopped funding for the construction of storm water drains across the City as the State government has failed to make necessary amendment to the existing laws.

Unless the State takes up those issues the Centre would not release a single paisa. The Centre stopped funding since April and no elected representative is bothered about it.

Hardly 23 months are left for the scheme to end and before that whatever things to be done at the State government should be taken up on priority. Or else, the City would end in great trouble.

Reforms

''The reforms suggested by the Centre has to be complied and it is quite firm in this regard”, the officer noted.

The proposals sent from here are pending before the State government for the last so many months. The best example has been the revised outer ring road project.

After rounds of discussions with the officials, the revised plan was prepared to the State government seeking its nod. Unfortunately, there has been no positive response from the State government till date. Without its approval, that proposal cannot be sent to the Union Government directly.

If clearing such important proposals take that much time where is the time to execute the works. Even the Centre require some time to go through the proposals and then only it would release the funds.

The question here is whether all the works proposed under the jnNURM scheme would be completed or not, the officer said.

Some of the heritage related works could have been taken only after implementing basic necessities like roads, parks, footpath and drinking water. In fact, many works have been approved one or two years ago and nothing could be changed at this juncture.

Except the Centre, nobody has power to change the works and divert the funds for them, the officer added.

Special package

 The officer opined that the proposed ‘Raja Marga’ should not have been taken up out of ` 100 crore released by the State Government.

The construction of ‘Raja Marga’ means removing the existing road and re-building it with the heritage touch. Instead of that work, the Mysore City Corporation should have taken up other works which are very much required by the citizens.