Ahead of Bangalore polls,JNNURM central to campaign

The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) has become the centerpiece of political debate as Bangalore City heads towards its first major local elections....

The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) has become the centerpiece of political debate as Bangalore City heads towards its first major local elections since the city corporation was reconstituted into the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagar Palike on January 16,2007. The three major political parties fighting for control of Bangalore City the BJP,the Congress and the JD(S) are staking claim to votes in 198 constituencies in the March 28 polls by referring to the JNNURM or funds available under the programme.

The ruling BJP has claimed credit for implementing transport augmentation plans,road and storm water drain improvements using funds available under the JNNURM over the last two years,but without alluding to the programme. The opposition Congress is claiming credit for preparing project plans worth Rs 22,000 crore for Bangalore under JNNURM in 2005,and is accusing the BJP of availing only 10 per cent of the funds. The JD(S) is claiming credit for reconstituting Bangalore into a Bruhat Bangalore during the tenure of its working president H D Kumaraswamy as the chief minister,making it eligible to avail funds under JNNURM.

Since it kicked into election mode last week,the BJP and Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa have been claiming credit for improvements in recent times and have promised projects worth Rs 18,000 crore for Bangalore.

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In the last 20 months our government has spent crores of rupees on developing Bangalore. We are ready to invest more money for better infrastructure. We are confident people are aware of our contributions, Yeddyurappa said this week.

The Congress responded in a manifesto released on Monday saying,Practically,every visible infrastructure-related activity in Bangalore is funded by the JNNURM,a gift of the Congress-led UPA government. The BJP government has used only 10 per cent of the funds available to Bangalore under JNNURM. Other governments keep asking for more funds,but this government has not been able to utilise existing funds, Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad claimed during his visit on Monday.

The JD(S) following the release of its manifesto aimed at the other Bangalore comprising garment workers,labourers and the urban poor in general claimed that it was the party that made 520 sq km of undeveloped region around Bangalore eligible for JNNURM. Bangalore became eligible for JNNURM funds because Kumaraswamy incorporated seven city municipalities and a town municipality to create the Greater Bangalore region. It was the JD(S) that was able to push through project proposals for funding, JD(S) leader C Narayanaswamy said.

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