Two cities in MP all set to compete in Centre’s performance-based challenge

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh is all set to compete to incubate a new city under the performance-based challenge fund. The state’s UAD department has sent proposals for two cities to the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA), which are being considered with profoundness.

The 15th Finance Commission report for the years 2021 to 2026, presented in Parliament on February 1, 2021, recommended Rs 8,000 crore for the incubation of eight new cities, Rs 1,000 for each, in the country through the performance-based challenge.

“As per guidelines of the Union Ministry of HUA, MP has sent proposals for two cities, Jabalpur Textiles and Logistic Hub (JTLH) and Pithampur Industrial Township sector-7 to incubate under the performance-based challenge. A task force chaired by CS sir has selected these cities”, Bharat Yadav, Commissioner of MP Urban Administration and Development Department, told Millennium Post.

“The proposals are under consideration and have highly been appreciated by the Union Ministry. We hope the state will get the chance to develop a new city under this challenge”, Yadav said.

MP’s proposals are among a total of 26 received from 21 states by the H and UA Ministry and are at the scrutiny and evaluation stage. Out of 26 proposals, only eight are to be selected in the country under this challenge.

The proposed new cities will be incubated based on ease of living, affordability and sustainable development.

The cities will be selected through a competition-based process.

Around 332 hectares of the area have been marked for developing JYLH as a greenfield city, emphasising land use, commercial use and housing along with public facilities, the new city will boost the local textile industry, the Commissioner said.

The Commission stated in its report that it needs to rejuvenate old cities as well as establish new ones, acknowledging problems like land acquisition and rehabilitation in new projects and inadequate housing and infrastructure facilities in cities due to urbanisation.

The challenge of setting up infrastructure in greenfield cities can be less daunting than the problem of setting up such facilities in old established cities, the report also said.

“The incubation of JYLH is expected to create an opportunity for jobs for about 50,000 skilled and semiskilled youth. Under IT, an incubation facility is being developed for startups in the proposed new city with smart infrastructure”, the Commissioner further said.

The second city (Pithampur) is to be developed under the Commercial Investment Area Development and Management scheme on around 1,268 hectares of land. It will boost up the adjoining industrial area.

The proposed new city is expected to be a new urban nod to connect preferably with Indore, Betma, Mhow, Rau, and Dhar. It is likely to develop the area socio-economically.