JNNURM parking projects suffer as AMRUT refuses funds

NEW DELHI: The union cabinet in April last year had approved central funding under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) to the projects sanctioned under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), which had not been completed. Those JNNURM projects related to urban development sanctioned during 2005-12 and had achieved physical progress of 50 per cent would be supported, the cabinet had decided.However, two such projects under JNNURM for the construction of conventional underground multilevel car parking at Subhash Nagar and Rajouri Garden have not received funds from the central government from the past three years.
According to the JNNURM scheme, the funding was to be shared among the central government (35%), the state government (15%), and the corporation (50%). The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) recently approved diverting funds to the tune of Rs. 20.38 crores from its internal revenue to the projects due to unavailability of funds under AMRUT. The parking facility at Subhash Nagar is 70 per cent complete while the one at Rajouri Garden is 49 per cent complete. Till date the SDMC has incurred an expenditure of Rs. 31.79 crores on the projects and needs an additional Rs. 20.38 crores that needs to be paid to the contractor C&C Constructions Ltd.
In reply to the South Corporation Commissioner’s query to the finance department “if there is likelihood of funds from JNNURM for this project”, the department had replied that “there is no hope for any further funding from GoI for the ongoing works under JNNURM” and that the “SDMC has to bear 85 per cent of the remaining project cost from its own resources and the remaining 15 per cent shall be claimed from the Delhi Government as State’s share that too on timely completion of the project.”
However, the change in leadership at the Centre and the State cannot be blamed for everything, contends the Opposition. Farhad Suri, Leader of the Opposition said that prior approval of the centre/state governments was not taken before enhancing the capacity of car parking at Rajouri Garden from 92 to 234. “What steps were taken by the SDMC to get the centre or state’s approval for enhanced capacity? Now that the SDMC has approved diverting funds from internal revenue for meeting the expenditure of rs. 20.3 crores, will the amount be reimbursed by the centre or the state? If not, then how can they call it ‘temporary loan’ from non-plan head to plan head?” questioned Suri. Soth corporation Mayor Subhash Arya said that all approvals were taken from the House before enhancing the capacity but getting fund from the Delhi Government was doubtful.