The Urban Improvement Trusts in Rajasthan will speed up the process for regularisation of slums in the cities and residential colonies developed on agricultural land. The move is expected to provide much-awaited relief to the residents of these areas. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, presiding over a meeting of the trusts here, said giving title deeds to the poor people living in these colonies would meet their aspiration for owning a house of their own. She said the regularisation work should be completed in a specified timeframe.

With an aim to fulfill the dreams of the urban poor in the state to have their own house in the city, the Haryana Housing Board Authorities will construct about 50,000 dwelling units in the next three years. This was declared by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today, who was in Sector 20, Panchkula, to lay the foundation stone of a group housing scheme, which will be constructed at a cost of Rs 67 crore. Hooda added that keeping in view the problem of the urban poor in the society, the Haryana Housing Board had reduced the prices of houses up to 15 to 20 per cent.

The goal of the Bharat Nirman programme of fulfilling the norms of water supply in all the rural habitations will be achieved in the State during the current year, Local Administration and Rural Development Minister M.K. Stalin told the Assembly on Tuesday.

THE government may allow multilateral funding agencies such as World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) to directly extend debt to urban local bodies (ULB). At present, the grants are routed through the central government, which passes it to the states. The move is expected to provide an alternative portfolio of fund-raising to ULBs marred by finance constraints. It will also fast-track the process of fund-raising for developmental activities. The urban development ministry is considering the proposal to allow the multilateral agencies extend financial support to ULBs.

Housing for the poor and urban development is one of key areas of focus in Budget 2008-09 with urban development accounting for about 13% of the total Budget outlay.

This is the India that exists only in the Planning Commission

The sixth Left Front Government in Tripura has sent a safe drinking water project of Rs 522.12 crore for Agartala to the Centre, soon after assuming office.

The purge of slums to free up real estate in cities began in 1994, through

I will stop the migration of Bihari labourers. In future, nobody will go to other states at least to fulfill the requirement of bread and butter: CM - report of Satish K Singh Now, every road of Bihar goes towards development. In every sector process of transformation is going on. Face of Bihar is changing rapidly. Citizens of Bihar are presently daring to think about daydream. You just look at some of the latest developments which are spreading its wings all over Bihar. The Nitish govt is going to provide over 24,000 dwellings to the urban poor in the ten towns of the state soon. The basic services for urban poor (BSUP) scheme under JNNURM envisages provision of 14,592 dwelling units with amenities, including light and clean environment for the urban poor. The units will be constructed in cooperation with the Centre, the state govt and Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC). Urban Development Minister Ashwini Kumar Chaubey on Feb 11 launched the first phase of the project at Mundichak in Bhagalpur. The project will be launched at Jagdeopath in Patna soon. Hudco will construct 12,596 units at an estimated cost of Rs 313 crore in Patna agglomeration area including Patna, Phulwarisharif, Danapur and Khagaul. Another 2000 housing units will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 54 crore at Bodh Gaya. Raj Bhavan will soon adopt 1000 children of Musahar community in Bhojpur and Bhagalpur dist for imparting education to them in the nearest schools and colleges besides providing them food and clothes. These children will be educated under the supervision of the universities located in those areas localities while some NGOs would extend help in different forms. People of Bihar irrespective of age and profession would soon get an opportunity to express their innovative ideas and highlight researches at five day festival to be organized in Patna University. Aimed at developing a: Discovery Park: in the state, the creativity festival would be open to all-from school teachers, professionals of organized and unorganized sectors, farmers, technicians and scientists who want to bring to light their works and ideas in different fields. Cultural programme between Bihar and Mauritius has ended recently. PM of Mauritius Navin Ramgoolam had come to Bihar for this purpose. Basically he belongs to Bihar. Now, Navin is also ready to invest a lot of money for the development of industries in Bihar. A few days ago, NRIs meet was organised at Shri Krishna Memorial Hall, Patna. A number of NRIs want to invest in Bihar. Recently, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said, I will stop the migration of Biharis labours. In future, nobody will go to other states at least to fulfill the requirement of bread and butter. The 40-year-old Lok Sabha member from Madhepura, Pappu Yadav symbolized money and brute muscle power got life term for Ajit Sarkar murder case. The special court awarded the same sentence to a former MLA from Govindganj in East Champaran district, Rajan Tiwari and history-sheeter Anil Yadav for the killing in Purnea. With the signing of an agreement between the NTPC and BSEB on Feb 14 for the Bihar Bijli Company, Nabinagar, the process for establishment of 1980 MW thermal power plant in Aurangabad district has begun. The bipartite agreement for the super project with an estimated cost of 9,000 crore was signed in the presence of CM Nitish Kumar and NTPC Chairman-Cum-MD T Sankarlingam and energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav. Announcement of opening of new Medical, Engineering, Agriculture and ITI colleges/institutes are signs of change in Bihar. Opening of new ordnance factory at Rajgir in Nalanda district, renovation of sugar mills in north Bihar and renovation of all closed industries are also indications of transformation taking place in Bihar. Perhaps due to this, the Bihar govt's thrust on reforms and good governance has been appreciated by the World Bank and ADB, which promised the CM to extend financial assistance in terms of loans and grants in the sectors of road construction, power, Panchayati Raj institutions and tourism. The state govt has sought assistance for construction of Panchayat Bhavans in all 8712 gram panchayats to strengthen the panchayati raj instiutions. The govt also asked for monetary support from the JVIC to build an expressway between Patna, Gaya and also develop tourist spots coming under the Buddhist circuit. In this connection Nitish has demanded enough funds from the Centre for the all-round development of Bihar. With a view to link 10,000 inaccessible villages with roads in the state by March 2009, the government has strengthened the Rural Development Department by transferring under it several circles and divisions from other depts. In fact Bihar has a vast reservoir of talent and there was need for their exposure. If this pace of reforms is carried in the near future too, undoubtedly Bihar will be richest state of the country once again.

The first project under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM) for the capital city of Panjim entitled

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