Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 19: The maiden meeting of the State Level High Power Steering Committee (HPSC) for implementation of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) in J&K was held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary, B R Sharma here today.
HPSC approved the State Annual Action Plan (SAAP) based on the State Level Improvement Plans (SLIPS) of the Urban Local Bodies of the State prioritizing cities and projects for onward submission to the Union Ministry of Urban Development for sanction.
The Mission will be implemented in 500 cities and towns across the country, each with a population of one lakh and above, some cities situated on stems of main rivers, a few capital cities and important cities located in hilly areas, islands and tourist areas.
The cities and towns selected under AMRUT in Jammu & Kashmir include Srinagar, Jammu, Anantnag and Leh.
AMRUT adopts a project approach to ensure basic infrastructure services relating to water supply, sewerage facilities, septage management, storm water drains, urban transport and development of green spaces and parks to enhance amenity value of cities and towns.
State Level Implementation Plans (SLIPS) have been formulated by Urban Local Bodies including Srinagar/Jammu Municipal Corporations after studying the existing conditions in the towns.
Implementation of the Mission will be linked to promotion of urban reforms such as e-governance, constitution of professional municipal cadre, devolving funds and functions to urban local bodies, review of building bye-laws, improvement in assessment and collection of municipal taxes, credit rating of urban local bodies, energy and water audit and citizen-centric urban planning.
Principal Secretary, Forest, Ecology and Environment, Rakesh Kumar Gupta, Commissioner Secretary Housing and Urban Development, Bipul Pathak, Commissioner Secretary, Finance, Navin Kumar Choudhary, Secretary PHE and I&FC, Parvez Malik, Secretary Transport, Kifayat Hussain Rizvi, Managing Director, J&K Housing Board, Commissioner, JMC, Mandeep Kaur, Commissioner, SMC, Showkat Zargar besides other senior officers were also present in the meeting.
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