(a) whether a committee was set up by the Union Government to work out the modalities for the Urban Reforms Incentive Funds (URIF);
(b) if so, the details of recommendations made by this committee; and
(c) the details of recommendations accepted by the Union Government?
MINISTER OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT & POVERTY ALLEVIATION ( SHRI ANANTH KUMAR )
(a)to(c): A Statement is laid on the Table of the Sabha.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.
625 FOR 6.5.2003 REGARDING URBAN REFORMS INCENTIVE FUND.
(a): Yes, Sir.
(b)&(c): The committee, in its meeting in May, 2002 discussed
the modalities of operation of the Urban Reforms Incentive Fund
and framed a Memorandum of Agreement, which was circulated to
the State Governments in July, 2002 asking their willingness to
enter into the said Memorandum of Agreement. This Memorandum
spells out the milestones in each reform area, which have to be
achieved by a State to qualify for the corresponding incentive.
Based on the responses from the States, a revised Memorandum of
Agreement has been worked out. It is proposed to give
weightages to each reform area and to allow signing of a
Memorandum of Agreement with the State Govenments without
insisting on full coverage of all the seven reform areas
identified in the first phase. The Memorandum of Agreement is
under finalisation.