"States and cities have accessed only one-third of the committed money"

With just two years left for the JNNURM to complete, BT's Puja Mehra and Manu Kaushik did a status check with M. Ramachandran, Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development. During the conversation, he spoke about the mission priorities, local body participation and the road ahead.

What are the biggest challenges in tackling urban development in India?
It's a combination of various factors—funding, governance, reforms and planning. Reforms and projects should go hand in hand. But there is laxness when it comes to implementing reforms. The best example is Urban Land Ceiling Act. We have to run after Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to get that done. From this year onwards, we have categorically said that you meet the milestones first and then come to us for claiming money. In reforms, the state will have to facilitate and cities have to implement. The face and structure of local bodies has to undergo a change. Of course, it requires some political commitment as well. So, we will have to elevate the discussions to the levels of Chief Ministers.

How do you take the message down to the local body level? How do you get local bodies to actively participate in the mission?
There is enough sensitisation as of today. Many cities have been very proactive in implementing their part of reforms. They have been implementing projects, claiming money, and taking up new initiatives. Initiatives in areas such as water supply, transport, solid waste management are happening at a much larger scale than before.

On the reforms side, are there any sterling examples?
There are 23 reforms; and it's a question of who has taken up what. I can't say that one particular reform has been implemented by all the cities. There are many standalone examples. Besides, we have not succeeded in projecting everything well.

What agitates you the most?
Till date, a little over one-third of the total money committed under the mission has gone to the states and cities. The rest (which is against their outlay) is yet to go to them. Only two years are left and if tomorrow I am unable to present a good picture, people at the Planning Commission and other decision makers will ask me 'what cause you are championing?'

Out of 523 projects, only 60 have been completed so far. I think we have to double the figure during this year and it is possible. States and cities have to focus on completing the projects which have been taken up. It is important to understand that the more you delay, the more you deny citizens the advantage of those basic facilities.