Dy Chairman, Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia with Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit at a meeting in New Delhi.
The Annual Plan for Delhi for the year 2010-11 has been finalised at a meeting between Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit. The Annual Plan size has been agreed at Rs11400 crore.
In his remarks on the development strategy for Delhi, Ahluwalia said being the national capital it should lead in evolving new programmes that can better benefit lower section of the society. He said lot of emphasis has to be on improving basic amenities including drinking water and sewerage. “Delhi Government has to its credit bringing out an Action Plan for climate change, improving sex ratio, working on an excellent GIS system and demonstrative achievement in power sector,” he said.
Ahluwalia added that the Commission would shortly start working on Twelfth Plan and States like Delhi should work on a plan that has a clear action plan on improving civic amenities and drinking water facilities.
“Emphasis on private sector participation in the development of infrastructure has to be improved substantially while new areas of private participation in the development of hospitals, schools for poor, BRT should be explored,” he added.
“The industrial sector of Delhi has to play an important role in generating higher levels of income and employment since the role of the primary sector is extremely limited in the region. The DSIDC Bill has been amended to give adequate power to DSIDC to manage industrial estates in Delhi. Maintenance of these estates will now be undertaken on PPP basis. Even the construction of industrial estates could be taken on PPP basis. The functioning of Skill Development Mission needs to be speeded up to fulfil its objectives,” Ahluwalia said.
He said there are several systemic issues in transport and mobility resulting in vehicular congestion and shortage of parking facilities. Steps to improve the public transportation system including bidding out bus transport clusters are encouraging. Parking is another critical problem which will only get worse as vehicle currently increase. The imposition of parking charges in congested areas can help shift incentive towards public transport.
He said that although the overall power supply position in Delhi, has improved, but shortages and shut downs continue. However, the distribution system, he said, also needs to be adequately revamped and modernised. AT&C losses have come down substantially.
Chief Minister briefed the Commission on Plan performance and efforts to improve revenue generation. She said the State Government’s innovative policies were paying rich dividends. She said Delhi Urban Metropolitan Transport Authority Bill has been approved which would pave way for setting up of urban transport fund. The 20-years perspective Plan for Delhi transport prepared by RITES has recommended setting up of 300 kms of BRT in next ten years and two new corridors are to be started shortly. She said that 3125 low floor CNG buses would be on road by August this year and the entire local transport system would be covered through automatic vehicle tracking and monitoring system.
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