Team Herald
PANJIM: The Central government has approved Rs 70 crore in State Annual Action Plan (SAAP) for Panjim city under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for 2016-17. For the last financial year, Rs 60 crore was approved for the capital city under the scheme.
An inter-ministerial committee headed by Union Urban Development Secretary Madhusudan Prasad that met on Tuesday approved SAAP for the ongoing financial year for Panjim, which is focused on urban transportation.
GSIDC has been named the designated body for managing and implementing the AMRUT scheme in Panjim while Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) Commissioner Deepak Desai has been appointed the mission director. Desai made a presentation on SAAP before the committee on Tuesday, that approved it in one go.
Speaking to Herald on his return, Desai said, “The project under urban transportation focuses on introducing pedestrianisation in the city.”
The Commissioner said that for 2015-16, the Centre had sanctioned Rs 60 crore under which 10 projects would be taken up. “Four projects have been tendered, while three are awaiting financial approval and three are before Public Works Department technical committee,” he said.
The Centre released Rs 29.72 crore for the projects in February, while the State has pitched in an equal sum, bringing the total sanctioned for 2015-16 to Rs 59.44.
The projects include the beautification and pedestrianisation of Cafe Bhosle square, a new pedestrian bridge linking Central Library to the pedestrian bridge over Ourem creek, rejuvenation of Altinho steps cluster, rejuvenation of Mandovi river promenade from children’s park to Miramar youth hostel, redevelopment of internal lanes of Mala, phase II of the beautification of the beach front promenade at Miramar, beautification and upgradation of Azad Maidan square and development of mangrove boardwalk along Central Library side of Rua de Ourem creek.
