BHUBANESWAR: The 11th Five-Year Plan is coming to an end but not a single big infrastructure project out of 73 proposals approved by the Centre under JNNURM and Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT) has been completed by the Government. The Ministry of Urban Development has sanctioned 24 drinking water supply projects under the urban infrastructure development scheme. Though a target was set to complete the projects by 2012, not a single project, barring one in Koraput, is nearing completion. Curiously, the Urban Development Department, the implementing agency, has procured pipes for many of the projects pending finalisation of the tenders for laying of pipes. In most of the cases, there is poor response to the tenders while in others bidding was cancelled several times. The Nayagarh water supply project is a pointer. The project was sanctioned by the State level sanctioning committee on January 24, 2009. Meanwhile, tender for laying pipes has been invited four times and there is no response. Exasperated over the delay in the execution of the project, local MLA and Government Deputy Chief Whip Arun Sahu has drawn the attention of the Urban Development Minister Sarada Nayak requesting him to expedite the process. Project sanctioned for the Vyasanagar NAC in Jajpur district in November 2007 is yet to progress much. Sources in the department said the land identified for water treatment plant is coming under forest areas. After considerable delay, about two acres of forest land were alienated recently. Work on the treatment plant is in progress. Of the several projects sanctioned in 2007, the ones in Sambalpur, Angul, Parlakhemundi and Berhampur have remained incomplete due to poor response to tenders for laying pipes. However, Koraput NAC is the only exception. It is high time the Government reviewed the delay in project implementation and took necessary remedial measures, a senior officer of the department said. Similar is the condition of the projects sanctioned under JNNURM. The ` 499-crore integrated sewerage project sanctioned for Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation is moving at a snail’s pace. The town bus service in the city under the rapid transit system is the only visible achievement of the Government. The UPA Government launched the massive urban infrastructure development scheme on December 3, 2005. Project proposals worth ` 1,725 crore submitted by the State Government were sanctioned. The Centre is providing 90 per cent of the project cost.
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