Tuesday, March 28 2006 14:31 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Centre has cleared 12 projects costing over Rs 524 crore for infrastructure development in the five cities of Vijaywada, Hyderabad, Indore, Surat and Rajkot under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

The Union Urban Development Ministry's Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) approved the projects in its second meeting here yesterday, an official spokesman said here today (Mar 28, 2006).

The projects cleared are for providing water supply and underground drainage facility to unserved areas of Vijaywada, construction of flyovers, laying pipelines and augmentingsewage treatment in Hyderabad, water supply scheme in Indore, sewage treatment in Surat and water supply and sewage facility in Rajkot.

The total Central Assistance admissible for the projects is over Rs 215 crore and the first instalment recommended for release is over Rs 54 crore, the spokesman said.

The Urban Development Ministry will send its sanction to these projects to the Department of Expenditure, Finance Ministry soon for release of the first instalment of funds.

Earlier, the CSMC has given the green signal to 11 projects worth about Rs 400 crore.

The main thrust in the projects cleared so far is on infrastructure development in old city areas and shifting industrial and commercial establishments to conforming areas.