The Hindu Business Line : Urban mission will make cities engines of growth: Azad

THE Union Government is to set up a National Urban Renewal Mission aimed at guiding and providing focussed attention on urban infrastructure, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister for Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs, has said.

Inaugurating the Second World Mayors Conference here, the Minister said that the mission would help the urban centres in the country to realise their full potential and become engines of economic activity and growth. A national action plan has also been formulated to provide e-governance to all municipal bodies in a phased manner, he said.

The Centre has sanctioned Rs 5,000 crore in the financial year of 2005-06 and the first phase would be launched in August covering 35 cities with one million plus population.

The Government, he said, had recommended municipal reforms to promote financial transparency and improve resource position of urban local bodies. This was one of the mandatory reforms to be carried out by State Governments and urban local bodies to access funds from the Centre under the mission.

The UPA Government decided to link asset creation to the management of local bodies, as it was an important component for ensuring sustained service delivery. This is proposed to be secured through an agenda of reforms, which the State Government and the urban local bodies seeking funds for creation of assets would have to adopt and implement, he said.

The conference, second of its kind to take place in the country, was attended by 50 mayors including 15 from various foreign countries. The theme of the conference is Millennium Development Goals and the Role of Cities. It was organised by the All India Institute of Local Self Government, Kochi Corporation and the Kerala Institute of Local Administration.

Speakers at the conference have jointly demanded improvement in the financial condition of local bodies in order to tackle the growing problems of urban poverty, shortage of housing and sanitation facilities.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister, Mr Oommen Chandy, has sought the cooperation and support of international agencies for achieving the eight Millennium Development Goals.

The Millennium Development Goals aimed at eradicating poverty, universalising education, achieving gender equality, reducing child and maternal mortality, combating HIV/AIDS and other major diseases, protecting environment and partnering in global development.

The City Mayor Mr C.M. Dinesh Mani said that all out efforts were being made to get over its problems especially of infrastructure and logistical shortcomings by undertaking long term planning.

Mr Ranjit Chavan, Director-General of the All India Institute of Local Self Government, said that the institute had proposed to expand its assistance to countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka to assist the process of urbanisation.

Dr Maxine Olson, UN Resident Co-ordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in India, stressed the need for private participation in resolving the growing problems of cities. The UNDP, she said, would be playing a co-ordinating role in achieving the aims of the Millennium Developmental Goals set by the conference.

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