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The President of Asian Development Bank (ADB) Mr. Haruhiko Kuroda, called on the Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Urban Development , Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, in New Delhi. Mr. H. Kuroda was accompanied by Mr. Masao Uno, Chief Advisor to the President, Mr. Ashok Saikia, Executive Director (India), Mr. Kunio Senga, Director General, South Asia Department and Mr. Tadashi Kondo, country Director, India Resident Mission. Shri Anil Baijal, Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, senior officers from the Ministry of Urban Development and Department of Economic Affairs, Government of India, were also present in the meeting.
Welcoming the President, ADB the minister thanked the ADB for its assistance and continued support in the economic development of India, particularly for its assistance in the infrastructure sector. Shri Azad acknowledged the ADB’s support for ongoing urban infrastructure projects in Karnataka, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Jammu & Kashmir.
He also appraised the delegation about the emerging needs for improvement of urban infrastructure in the context of rapid urbanization in the country and mentioned about the greater importance of resources to be generated from multilateral agencies, particularly for implementing the projects to be taken up under National Urban Renewal Mission. Shri Azad said that the ADB can play an important role in providing technical support for training of the personnel and assistance in the preparation of citiy development/ investment plans and detailed project reports. ADB can give financial assistance in the form of loans to urban local bodies involving private participation in the capital-intensive urban infrastructure projects.
The President, ADB Mr. Kuroda acknowledged the rapid growth of Indian economy and the progress made in developing infrastructure in the country through internal resources as well as through external assistance. He expressed ADB’s keenness to assist infrastructure projects particularly under public private participation. Mr. Kuroda informed the Minister that ADB is contemplating a major 2 Million dollar technical assistance scheme for capacity building under National Urban Renewal Mission. Mr. Kuroda informed the Hon’ble Minister regarding the ADB assistance given to two major projects in Jammu & Kashmir for which agreements were singed during early 2005.
The Hon’ble Minister appreciated the assistance being given by the ADB for Water Supply and Sanitation projects of Srinagar & Jammu. He stated that Drainage and Sewerage improvement and upgradation projects in respect of Greater Jammu and Greater Srinagar cities should be taken up simultaneously and need not wait till the completion of Phase-I of Srinagar & Jammu city infrastructure projects. He said the areas proposed to be covered in the greater Srinagar and Greater Jammu schemes are different and are the outgrowth of the old core city areas. These areas do not have drainage and sewerage facilities and it is absolutely essential that the same is provided expeditiously. Shri Azad also said that the project for Augmentation and Improvement of Water supply in Greater Jammu should be taken up on priority.
The President, ADB appreciated the need for the projects mentioned by Shri Azad and expressed Banks’ willingness to take up techno-economic feasibility study of the Phase-II of the projects expeditiously, alongwith the evaluation of implementation of the Phase-I.
HRK/SK
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