[mpisgmedia] Gujarat Govt has a new mission: urban development

*Govt has a new mission: urban development* *Express News
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*Gandhinagar, December 29:* The State Government has decided to estabish a
Gujarat Urban Development Mission (GUDM) with the objective of supporting
urban renewal and urban infrastructural development along with attaining
better living standards in all major cities and towns. A Government
Resolution (GR) to this effect was issued on January 20.

With headquarters in Gandhinagar, the GUDM will be set up as a registered
society under the Societies (Registration) Act, 1860 and the Bombay Public
(Trust) Act, 1950. The Principal Secretary (Urban Development) will be the
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the mission which will work as a
state-level nodal agency for the purpose of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban
Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

The misson will also have a governing council headed by the Chief
Minister and eminent persons from NGOs, research institutes along with
experts in the field of urban planning and management, infrastructure
development, finance and environment. Besides, a steering committee headed
by the State Urban Development Minister will also be set up.

Confirming this, Principal Secretary (Urban Development) K Kailashnathan
said on Saturday that the main functions of the GUDM would be to provide
technological support and financial assistance to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)
for implementing different projects in their areas and also to seek funds
from the Centre, State Government and other financial institutions.

The mission's duration will be seven years beginning from 2005-06 and it
will be authorised to avail the services of professionals, experts and
institutions on hire/contract basis. It will assist ULBs in preparing city
development plans and detailed project reports, besides in training and
capacity-building.

Kailashnathan also said that the City Development Plan (CDP) for each of the
four major cities — Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot — had already been
prepared.

Now these draft plans will be submitted to the steering committee for
approval, which will later be sent to the Centre to avail funds from the
National Urban Renewal Mission for various developmental projects proposed
to be underaken in these cities. Similar CDPs will be prepared for other
major cities/towns of the State.
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