Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
New Delhi, Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to NDA government’s flagship 100 smart cities project and the new urban renewal mission with a total outlay of about Rs one lakh crore.
In a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved Smart Cities Mission for development of 100 smart cities and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) of 500 cities with outlays of Rs 48,000 crore and Rs 50,000 crore respectively, according to a statement issued by the Urban Development Ministry.
Smart City is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project aimed at recasting the urban landscape of the country by making cities more livable and inclusive, besides driving the economic growth. Each selected city under the ambitious scheme would get central assistance of Rs 100 crore per year for five years.
AMRUT is the new avatar of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and has been named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The Cabinet also approved central funding under AMRUT to the projects sanctioned under JNNURM and not completed. JNNURM projects sanctioned during 2005-2012 and which have achieved physical progress of 50 per cent availing 50 per cent of central assistance released and those sanctioned during 2012-2014 will be supported till March 2017.
Accordingly, 102 and 296 projects respectively will get central support for balance funding to complete these projects.
Smart City aspirants will be selected through a ‘City Challenge Competition’ intended to link financing with the ability of the cities to perform to achieve the mission objectives.
Each state will shortlist a certain number of smart city aspirants as per the norms to be indicated and they will prepare smart city proposals for further evaluation for extending central support.
The central spending, approved for next five years under the two new missions that are interlinked, assumes significance in the backdrop of the approved Plan outlay of Rs 42,900 crore for JNNURM that was implemented over nine years between 2005 and 2014. Out of this, actual central assistance released was Rs 36,398 crore only.
Also in a significant departure from JNNURM, central government will not appraise individual projects. Central assistance will be to the extent of 50 per cent of project cost for cities and towns with a population of up to 10 lakh and one-third of the project cost for those with a population of above 10 lakhs.
An investment of at least Rs 2 lakh crore would flow into urban areas over the next five years since states and urban local bodies would mobilise matching resources ranging from 50 per cent to 66 per cent.
In addition, substantial private investments would be mobilised by states and urban local bodies through PPP model as required to meet the project cost.
Special Purpose Vehicle will be created for each city to implement Smart City action plan. The SPV will be signed with the urban local body, state government and the Centre for implentation of the project.
The Mission of building 100 smart cities intends to promote adoption of smart solutions for efficient use of available assets, resources and infrastructure with the objective of enhancing the quality of urban life and providing a clean and sustainable environment. Special emphasis will be given to participation of citizens in prioritising and planning urban interventions.
Penalty for corruption enhanced to seven years
In a move aimed cracking the whip on corruption in the country, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved official amendments to an anti-graft legislation enhancing the penalty to a maximum of seven years imprisonment, up from the current five years.
The proposed amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 provides for more stringent punishment for the offences of bribery—both for the bribe giver and the bribe taker.
“Penal provisions being enhanced from minimum six months to three years and from maximum five years to seven years (the seven year imprisonment brings corruption to the heinous crime category),” a press release said.
A time limit of two years has been proposed to ensure speedy conclusion of corruption cases.
“The average trial period of cases under Prevention of Corruption Act in the last four years has been above eight years. It is proposed to ensure speedy trial by providing a trial completion (period) within two years,” it said.
The amendments also propose to extend the provision of prior approval to prosecute to public servants that cease to hold office due to retirement or resignation, among other things.
“Also, prior sanction for inquiry and investigation shall be required from the Lokpal or Lokayukta for investigation of offences relating to recommendations made or decision taken by a public servant in discharge of official functions or duties,” the release said.
The official amendments, which will be the part of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 — currently pending in Rajya Sabha — also provides guidelines for commercial organisations to prevent persons associated with them from bribing a public servant.
The official amendments propose to confer the powers of attachment on the trial court (Special Judge) instead of the District Court.
“Intentional enriching by public servants will be construed as criminal misconduct and possession of disproportionate assets as proof of such illicit enrichment,” it said.
Non-monetary gratification has also been covered within the definition of the word gratification.
Expanding the ambit of provision for containing inducement of public servant, it is proposed to include “commercial entities” to check supply side of corruption in the amendment Bill.
The proposed amendments would fill in perceived gaps in the domestic anti-graft law and also help in meeting the country’s obligations under the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) more effectively, the release said.
The Prevention of Corruption Act was enacted in 1988.
Later developments, such as India ratifying the UNCAC, international practice on treatment of the offence of bribery and corruption, among others, necessitated a review of the existing provisions of the Act to bring it in line with current international practice and also to meet the country’s obligations under the UNCAC more effectively, the release said.
The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on August 19, 2013. The Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee submitted its report on the Bill to the Rajya Sabha on February 6 last year but the Bill could not be passed.
“As the Bill contemplates an important paradigm shift in defining offences relating to bribery, the views of the Law Commission of India were also sought on the proposed amendments. Further amendments are proposed in the Bill as recommended by the Law Commission of India in its 254th report,” it said.
Rs 1,000 minimum monthly pension in perpetuity
Government also decided to continue its Rs 1,000 per minimum monthly pension scheme in perpetuity, a move that would benefit over 20 lakh pensioners under social security scheme run by EPFO.
The scheme was initially effective only till last month.
“The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday gave its approval for continuation of the minimum pension of Rs 1,000 per month to the pensioners of Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 (EPS) beyond 2014-15 on perpetual basis. Currently, it is effective only up to March, 2015,” an official press release said.
Retirement fund body EPFO had suspended the Rs 1,000 minimum monthly pension scheme from April 1.
“Providing a minimum pension of Rs 1,000 per month is an effort to provide meaningful subsistence to pensioners who have served in the organised sector. The present proposal is likely to benefit approximately 20 lakh pensioners under EPS, 1995,” said the release issued on Wednesday said.
Cabinet okays changes to company law
The Cabinet also approved amendments to the company law to ease of doing business. The amendment, that do away with a mandatory declaration by a firm before commencing business, have also been cleared to fast-track the approval process for draft notifications aimed at granting exemptions from various provisions of the Companies Act.
The amendments, now part of the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2014, include scrapping the requirement for filing a declaration by a company before commencement of business or exercising its borrowing powers.
The meeting also saw the Cabinet clear the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Bill 2015, aimed at expeditious utilisation of funds realised for forest land diverted to non-forest purposes in transparent manner, and sanction two new battalions for the National Disaster Relief Force with 2,000 personnel.
