New Delhi, March 20 : Observing that progress of some of metro rail projects which are operating without any full time or dedicated Managing Director is very tardy, a Parliamentary committee recommended that the Ministry should stress upon the need of appointing full-time Managing Director in all the Metro Corporations and Projects.
The Standing Committee on Housing & Urban Affairs in the report on “Demand for Grants (2023-24) of the Ministry said: “The Committee has observed that progress of some of the metro projects which are operating without any full time/dedicated Managing Director is very tardy. And, so recommended that the Ministry should stress upon the need of appointing full-time Managing Director in all the Metro Corporations/Projects and take up the matter with various State Governments at the earliest.”
The Committee is of the view that a realistic budgetary allocation can be sought on the basis of annual targets, and therefore, recommended that under Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0, the Ministry should set annual financial and physical targets from Financial Year 2023-24 onwards, said the report.
It noted that operation and maintenance of Public Toilets/Community Toilet are the state governments’ responsibility yet proper operation and maintenance of PTs/CTs is essential for sustainability of the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban. “Hence, the Committee feel that there is a need for constant monitoring over maintenance of PTs and CTs otherwise the assets created under the Mission and public money invested in them will go wasted,” said the report.
The panel noted that PM SVANidhi Scheme played a vital role in empowering the lowest rung of the society, the street vendors, by making financial assistance available to them and bringing vendors in the formal banking system. It urged the Ministry to consider introducing a fourth tranche of loan of Rs 1 lakh under PM SVANidhi for those interested vendors whose credit rating is good and conduct an ‘Impact assessment Study’ of the PM SVANidhi Scheme.
The Budgetary allocation of the Ministry has been slightly reduced. On this, the Committee is of the view that the budgetary support for the Ministry is required to be in tune with the entrusted responsibility of comprehensive urbanisation and recommended the Ministry to take up the matter with the Ministry of Finance and impress upon the need to increase the Budgetary allocation of the Ministry, said the report.(IANS)
