Al Ngullie
Morung Express
October 25
Nagaland’s capital Kohima shall be a developed “city” with full urban infrastructure worth at least Rs. 285 Crore, within 8 years, by the year 2017. An update explaining “new approvals” by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has confirmed that in 2009, it had approved $ 200 million for the ambitious North East India Regional Capital Cities Development Investment Program. The program – a 2008-2017 venture – is to develop or enhance urban infrastructure in five North East capitals, including Kohima town.
The proposed total outlay and marginal installments comprising the first investment was reported by The Morung Express in 2008 at regular intervals. But it is only now that the actual ‘approval’ for Kohima has been confirmed. Kohima will receive a Rs. 285 crore development thrust for the about 10-year development project. One of the earliest reports carried in this daily, was that the ADB was investing about $ 260 million, not $ 200 million. Also, MoUs and project reports were then being reported as either pending/submitted or awaiting approval.
The ‘approval’ for Kohima was listed in a “fact-sheet” of the ADB that detailed the investment thrust of the bank. The “fact-sheet” detailed the Asian banker’s activities in infrastructure and urban assets-capital for the year completing 2009. Official details from the department of Urban Development, Nagaland, were being awaited at the time of filing this news report.
According to the bank’s “fact-sheet” $ 200 million has been approved as investment to develop Kohima town (The other NE states approved for the program are Shillong of Meghalaya, Aizwal of Mizoram, and Gangktok of Sikkim and Agartala of Tripura state).
Interestingly, Nagaland Urban Development department has also made a new entry on its site stating that the ‘projected investment’ for Kohima town is at Rs. 285 crore.
The Government of India, Urban Development informed, is providing technical assistance and loan to assist in upgrading urban infrastructure and services as well as to improve urban management of the North Eastern capital towns. “Kohima town is one of the five NE capital towns selected initially under this programme. The funding pattern is based on 90% center’s share and 10% as the state’s share,” the department said.
The department said the proposed scheme will be implemented during the period 2008-2017. The “Reform Agenda” which the state government had already signed and submitted earlier to the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region in December 2006 was resubmitted to the Ministry of Urban Development in December 2007. The first loan was being expected to be released during year 2008.
Under the ambitious ADB-funded urban development project, Kohima town will optimize her public facilities (water supply, sewerage systems, solid-waste management, drainage and landslip protection) and infrastructure (transportation and urban roads, slum and community upgrade).
Also, the department said the implementation of projects under various sectors will be taken up by the Urban Development department, R&B (PWD), PHED, Transport department and Kohima Municipal Council. The Urban Development department is the state-level nodal agency (SLNA) for the project.
