ADB to fund Rs 2,500-cr urban development in Uttarakhand

The Uttarakhand government has inked an agreement for a Rs 2,500 crore urban development project with Asian Development Bank to improve civic facilities in the hill state.The Uttarakhand Urban Sector Investment Programme, would get Rs 1,750 crore as loan from ADB to improve civic facilities in the state while the remaining amount of Rs 750 crore would be contributed by the state government, urban development minister Diwakar Bhatt said.The loan from the ADB would be provided to the state through the Central government.However, Uttarakhand would get 90% of the amount as grant and 10 % as loan as the state enjoys the special category status, Bhatt added.
The minister said the project, which would be implemented in 31 towns including Dehradun, Nainital and Haridwar which will improve the civic facilities like drinking water, solid waste management, slum development, transport and sewage system, would be executed by urban development department through a society called “Uttarakhand Urban Sector Development Agency”.The project would be completed in four phases till the 2016, Bhatt said, adding ADB has already released Rs 300 crore for the Rs 428.5 crore first phase of the project.Besides, the Centre has alloted Rs 205 crore under Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission to improve basic facilities in Dehra Dun, Nainital and Haridwar.