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The Government of India had launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in December 2005 to address the issues of urban development. The main thrust of this mission has been provision of housing and civic amenities to urban poor/slum dwellers, in addition to city-wide infrastructure facilities.
The Mission period - as of now - is 2012. Considering the pace of the growth of urban population, it is unlikely that JNNURM will fulfill all its targets. To give a simple example, 14.59 Lakh houses for the poor have been approved under the mission. However, so far only 1.80 Lakh have been completed and another 4.38 Lakh homes are under construction. This gives a good indication of the mission's status.
The government too acknowledges that infrastructure facilities in cities and towns have not kept pace with the increase in the urban population. (From 159.72 million in 1981, India's urban population jumped to 217.63 million in 1991 and 286.15 million in 2001. We can only imagine the rise in the coming census.
In all likehood, the government will either have to extend the period for JNNURM or replace it with a more effective Mission. Extension of the existing mission with further refinement seems more feasible. The government needs to identify the challenges experienced till date and address them on a priority basis. While the private sector has been involved in JNNURM to some extent, it is hardly sufficient. The government also needs to package JNNURM projects more attractively to get greater involvement from the private sector.
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