House panel suggests more funds for urban projects

A parliamentary standing committee submitted its report on the urban infrastructure projects in the country in Lok Sabha recently. Through this report, the panel sought allocation of more funds for infrastructure projects in the National Capital Region (NCR). The report finds that several projects are being executed in a slow pace and there is substantial dependence on multilateral and bilateral agencies for funds. The report shows that out of 277 infrastructure development projects, only 188 have been completed and 89 projects are at various stages of implementation. The Ministry of Urban Development asked for Rs 500 crore as budget allocation in 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) but was sanctioned only Rs 60 crore, the report shows.