JOIN USULBs get more powers to hasten infrastructure works
The state government has finally initiated measures to expedite long-pending infrastructure projects in urban local bodies (ULBs).
It has now set deadlines to the sanctioning authorities for according necessary approvals, besides enhancing their financial powers.
The sanctioning authorities in all city corporations, city municipal councils (CMCs), town municipal councils (TMCs) and town panchayats (TPs) have to approve estimates of the projects and finalise tenders within the stipulated time. Or, their powers will automatically get transferred to the immediate higher authority.
As per the documents available with DH, projects worth over Rs 2,000 crore are pending implementation in 207 ULBs, excluding Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), since 2011.
These projects such as upgrade of roads and construction of underground drainage have been taken up under Nagarothana, the Chief Minister’s small and medium town development programme and the Finance Commission grants.
For instance, only Rs 209 crore have been spent of the total Rs 1,000 crore under Nagarothana–III programme taken up in 2014-15 in 10 city corporations, excluding BBMP. Projects worth Rs 877 crore were announced under the 14 Finance Commission in 2015-16 in CMCs, TMCs and TPs. But the total expenditure so far is only Rs 53 crore. In most cases, delay was mainly because of obtaining administration approvals.
As per an eight-page order issued recently by the Urban Development Department (UDD), sanctioning authorities in all the city corporations, excluding BBMP, have to accord approvals for action plans and obtain approval of the elected body within a month’s time. The commissioner is the sanctioning authority in these corporations. Similarly, draft tender document has to be prepared in 10 days and the tender awarded in 20 days.
If the commissioner fails to stick to the deadline, then the power to approve the projects will gets transferred to the deputy commissioner (DC) of the respective district. If the DC too fails to clear the projects within a month, then the power will go to Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) at the state level. Likewise, deadlines have been set to all the ULBs.
Besides, financial power of all the sanctioning authorities to approve projects has been enhanced, to ensure that majority of these projects get cleared at the local level. Accordingly, the DMA will approve projects worth above Rs 5 crore each and below Rs 10 crore. All projects worth above Rs 10 crore each will be approved by the state Cabinet. Hitherto, approval of the Cabinet was necessary only for project worth over Rs 5 crore.
DMA Director R Vishal said the government has decentralised the sanctioning power for implementing infrastructure projects in a big way. “We are confident that implementation of projects will speed up from now onwards. The government has also directed all ULBs not to split projects. The DMA will monitor the implementation regularly,” he added.