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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | APJ Abdul Kalam’s scheme to bridge urban-rural divide set to take off

APJ Abdul Kalam’s scheme to bridge urban-rural divide set to take off

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published Published on Jun 6, 2012   modified Modified on Jun 6, 2012
-The Times of India
 
Missile man APJ Abdul Kalam's vision of bridging the urban-rural divide through a new scheme is set to take off, with the Planning Commission agreeing to allocate Rs 1,500 crore in the 12th five-year plan and the Centre likely to start 15 projects this year. 

The Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) would target development in 'census towns' by undertaking key activities like sanitation, water supply, street lighting and waste management. 

The 'census towns' have a population of over 5,000 — a density of 400 people per square km, where the male population engaged in non-agricultural activities is more than 75%. These are overgrown villages that have not yet been categorized as municipal towns, with their numbers increasing from 1,362 in 2001 to 3,894 in 2011. 

Union rural development (RD) ministry has decided to focus PURA in these towns that have no municipal agency to look after their infrastructural needs. The project would be executed by private companies based on a pact signed with gram panchayat for 10 years. 

Each project is likely to cost about Rs 150 crore. While RD ministry would provide a grant of Rs 40-50 crore, Rs 70-80 crore will come through the convergence of ongoing central schemes. The private partner is expected to bring in about Rs 20 crore. 

The company could impose user-charges or engage in economic activities to generate funds, all to be first agreed with the panchayat. 

RD minister Jairam Ramesh said, "Ten to 15 projects will be taken up this year in West Bengal, UP, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh in a public-private partnership mode to build and improve upon the physical infrastructure." 

Ramesh said states would have a key role in selecting the 'census town' where PURA is to be implemented, a key change from the scheme's earlier version that left the mandate entirely to the Centre and led to indifference or hostility among state governments. 

Ramesh said two projects each in Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh, and one each in Puducherry and Uttarakhand are awaiting final approval. The ministry recently launched two such projects in Kerala.

The Times of India, 6 June, 2012, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/APJ-Abdul-Kalams-scheme-to-bridge-urban-rural-divide-set-to-take-off/articleshow/13859801.cms


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