MCD to get additional Rs 1,000 cr under JNNURM for Games-related projects

Three months after the state government released funds worth Rs 800 crore for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for Commonwealth Games-related projects, the cash-strapped civic agency is set to receive additional funds worth Rs 1,000 crore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

A letter from the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) received by the MCD on December 24 last year confirms that the Ministry will release an additional Rs 1,000 crore under the JNNURM to assist the body in carrying out development work related to the Commonwealth Games.

The MCD has 24 ongoing urban infrastructure projects for the Games. The amount will be released in multiple installments, MCD officials said.

The first installment of Rs 469.80 crore is likely to be released this month and will be used for funding the several multi-level automated parking lots proposed by the MCD for the Games. The parking lots will come up in areas like Shalimar Bagh, Pitampura, Ashok Vihar, Mohammedpur Village, Malviya Nagar, PVR Basant Lok, PVR Saket and Rajouri Garden.

Rs 148.61crore will be released later for strengthening of roads in Okhla Industrial Area Phases I and II. The MCD will use the subsequent installments for work related to covering of the nallah between Nauroji Nagar and Africa Avenue, work on improvement of other roads as well as constructing various grade separators and underpasses before the Games.

“We have already started work on several projects and schemes on the basis of the Delhi government’s commitment to provide us the requisite additional funds, but after these projects began there has been no release of funds. Some of these schemes were also under the JNNURM, for which no funds were released to us,” an MCD official said.

“Now that the state government has released finances and the MoUD has also assured us of the same, we hope to complete all projects on time,” he added.