PMPML gets only 14 pc funds for new buses under JNNURM
Sakaal Times: Barely 14 per cent of the total Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) funds of Rs 227 crore have ‘percolated’ to the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) so far, posing hurdles in its plan of purchasing 650 new buses, a Right To Information (RTI) query has revealed.
Jugal Rathi of PMP Pravasi Manch, who had filed an RTI application to know the status of funds given to PMPML under JNNURM, has blamed the apathy on the part of civic bodies of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad and state government for paucity of funds.
“As per the initial delivery schedule, all 650 buses sanctioned under JNNURM scheme should have hit the road by now. However, only 70 odd diesel buses have been received by PMPML till date due to inadequate funds,” Rathi told Sakaal Times.
As per the funding norms, 50 per cent cost of bus purchasing is set to be provided by the Centre while remaining 20 per cent amount will be borne by state government and 30 per cent together by PMC and PCMC.
“The Centre, in March this year, had released its share of advance money worth Rs 56.75 crore to the state government. Ideally the money should have passed on by the state to PMC and PCMC after adding its share as per funding norms. On receiving that money, both the civic bodies were slated to pass it to PMPML for bus-purchasing,” Rathi told.
“However, in reality, PMPML received the money without due addition of share by state and both the civic bodies. Moreover, PMC did not release entire JNNURM fund received from the centre,” he added.
Rathi stated that state government and both the civic bodies are defaulters in terms of releasing the allotted funds for the public transport utility.
Convenor of NGO Pedestrians First, Prashant Inamdar alleged that JNNURM funds have been held up by the government machinery on the pretext of proposed Public-Private Partnership (PPP) plan for bus purchasing, which has been vehemently opposed by the NGOs and civic groups.
If PPP model comes into effect, 50 per cent share of civic bodies and state government for bus purchasing will be borne by PPP operator, he said.
The Centre had sanctioned 650 buses for Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad under JNNURM scheme, of which 500 buses were for PMC and the remaining to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.
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