Govt. seeks private sector help for urban development

By Our Staff Reporter

BHUBANESWAR, MAY 15. The Central Government will encourage private participation in creating and improving urban infrastructure in the country, the Union Minister of State for Urban Development, Mr. Bangaru Dattatraya, said today.

Speaking at a press conference here, the Minister said while an estimated amount of Rs. 1,25,000 crores was required to create urban infrastructure in the country, the Centre's budget for the purpose was only Rs. 1,650 crores. The development will be very slow and things will not improve without private sector participation, he said.

Expressing concern over the high growth of population in urban places and cities, Mr. Dattatraya said many cities were facing the problem of drinking water, traffic congestion and garbage disposal due to population growth. Large scale private participation would be encouraged in collection and disposal of garbage, he added.

The Minister said that the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) would provide loan to the Orissa government for solid waste management in as many as 10 cities and towns of the State - Bhubaneswar, Puri, Berhampur, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Balasore and Baripada.

Mr. Dattatraya announced that the Centre had decided to create urban infrastructure in various cities from this year under its heritage towns project. One city in each State will be taken up for development of infrastructure and protection of the heritage buildings this year, he said.

While Puri will be the first town to be developed in Orissa, the other cities in the first list include Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Ajmer in Rajasthan and Warangal in Andhra Pradesh. A total of Rs. 350 crores had been earmarked for the project this year, Mr. Dattatraya said.

The Minister, who reviewed various Centrally sponsored schemes during his two-day visit to the State, further announced that HUDCO will release a loan of Rs. 90 crores for improving the sewerage and drainage system of Cuttack city.

The Union Minister of State for Urban Development and Poverty alleviation, Mr. Bangaru Dattatraya, with the Orissa Chief Minister, Mr. Naveen Patnaik, in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

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