Project to improve urban infrastructure

HYDERABAD: Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has directed officials to work out project-wise details, financial commitments and capacity of each urban local body to implement the Andhra Pradesh Municipal Development Project, which will be aided by the World Bank. The project, to be completed by December 31, 2015, will look to improve basic urban infrastructure at the urban local body level. The chief minister along with minister for Municipal and Urban Administration on Friday reviewed the project details with officials at the Secretariat.  The total cost is $350 million (`1,670 crore), with World Bank providing $300 million (`1,432 crore), the state government- $19.4 million (`93 crore) and the local bodies- $30.6 million (`146 crore).The project will help to increase provision of basic services like water supply and sewerage, greater accountability of ULBs to citizens, positive impact of social inclusion by responses under citizen’s charters, improving accountability of the ULB management, increasing capital expenditure as proportion of total expenditure and increased tax and revenue collections.Some of the sub-projects approved in the first year procurement plan are: Palasa Kasibugga municipality (Srikakulam), Markapur municipality (Prakasam), Guntur corporation, Malkajgiri municipality (Rangareddy), Armoor municipality (Nizamabad), Kurnool corporation, Vijayanagaram municipality, Kakinada corporation (East Godavari).