Shimla: Kaul Singh Thakur, Irrigation and Public Health and Urban Development Minister directed the councellors, engineers, experts and officers to prepare Detailed Project Reports without any delay for the development of Shimla town under JNNURM so that these could be submitted to the Central Government for funding under the Mission.
He said that Government of India under JNNURM had conceived a most ambitious project and we were fortunate that out of 63 cities in India, Shimla had been selected as one City under the Mission. He said that Rs. 3900 crore City Development Plan for the development of the town has been approved by the Government of India. He said that priority areas were Solid Waste Management, underground tunnels, parking, water supply, sewerage, roads and housing for urban poors.
He said that approval for installation of Jakhu Ropeway has already been given and renovation work of Gaiety Theatre, Shimla was being carried out on war footing and Rs. 11 crore was being spent on it. He said that to meet out the drinking water problem in the town Rs. 66 crore Giri Water Supply Scheme would be dedicated to the people of the town, this year. He said that Government has also prepared Rs. 680 crore Water Supply Scheme from Pabbar river for Shimla town. He said that besides water from Kol Dam for Shimla town was also under construction of the Government added that for this public corporation was of utmost importance which needed to be sought. He said that MC, Shimla has been asked to prepare estimate to replace water pipes between Dhalli and Mashobra in about three to four kms radius as water leakages were more in the areas. He said that nine parking sites had already been identified for the town and process to identity more was continued so that decongestion problem could be solved to a great extent in the town. He further said that to get ease from congestion in the town, Timber Market, Grain Market, Vegetable Market and District Court would be shifted outside the town for which sites had been identified. He said that 703 daily wagers of MC had already been regularized who have completed eight years of services and added that the process was also continued to regularize the services of left out daily wagers who had completed their eight years by March, 2006.
He said that capacity building activities including research and training, widening and lowering of existing tunnel near Aukland House School on Motor round road Shimla, Ashiana a Housing Scheme for the poor of Shimla town and setting up of Solid Waste Management Improvement of Shimla city had been approved by the Government of India. He said that so far an amount of Rs. 6,15,74,044 (Central Share+ State share) had already been released to HIMUDA, the Nodal Agency, and added that there was a budgetary provision of Rs. 50 lacs during year 2007-08. He further said that DPR for construction of pedestrian path and consequent improvement of Shimla Cart and Circular Road for the safety and convenience of pedestrians, construction of pedestrian path for convenience of pedestrian, construction of link road from Bhumia on circular road to Shanan (near Housing Board Colony) and upgradation of Golf Course from nine holes to eighteen holes in Naldehra Shimla had already been sent to Government of India for approval.
He said that Solid Waste Management Project of Municipal Corporation, Shimla was approved to the tune of Rs. 700 lacs under NORAD. The project has been installed at Darni-ka-Bagicha at Bye- pass road. He said that the project has been executed by the Municipal Corporation, Shimla through Larson and Turbo company and has started functioning and the process of manufacturing manure from the garbage has also started. Besides this, an amount of Rs. 26.70 lacs was also provided to Municipal Corporation Shimla to meet out the expenses of forest land identified for the new project site on Tara Devi-Tutu road, he added.
