(a) whether the Union Government has set up a City Challenge Fund for catalyzing city level economic reforms programme;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the total corpus of the proposed fund; and
(d) the details of various programmes proposed to be taken up under the fund?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF URBAN
DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION ( SHRI BANDARU DATTATRAYA )
(a): The Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation,
Department of Urban Development has formulated a new Centrally
sponsored scheme of City Challenge Fund. The fund can be set up
only after approval of the Union Government is accorded as per
prescribed procedure.
(b): City Challenge Fund envisages to address the following
areas at the city level:-
(i) Catalyze city level economic reform programmes.
(ii) Institutional, fiscal and financial reforms of cities.
(iii) Creating credit-worthy cities.
(iv) To meet requirement of funds for the transition costs of
city restructuring.
Access to the City Challenge Fund would be on a
competitive basis. It would be open to Municipalities/Urban
Local Bodies that can present a plan of action and commitment to
undertake urban sector reforms that meet the criteria of the
fund.
(c): Planning Commission has made a provision of Rs.500 crore
for this scheme during the 10th Plan period 2002-07.
(d): The fund does not envisage to cater to any particular
programme. It would address the objectives mentioned at (b)
above at city level.