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The first phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) comes to an end 2012-13 and the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) is expected to launch JNNURM 2.0 to continue the mission thereafter. Based on the experiences of JNNURM 1.0, Parisar submitted a set of recommendations to MoUD regarding JNNURM 2.0, particularly focusing on the urban transport funding of JNNURM but also some general suggestions applicable to all sectors. The thrust of these suggestions is to make JNNURM more effective and accountable in its mission of sustainable and equitable urban development. Parisar also submitted these suggestions to the 12th Plan Working Group on Urban Transport set up by the Planning Commission of India.

The detailed submission from Parisar can be accessed here.

We look back on 2010-11 with mixed feelings. On one hand, we have grown and become a structured entity. This is important, since it enables us to take on more of the seemingly never ending list of issues that we feel we need to tackle. On the other, we are also more starkly cognizant of just how difficult it is to influence the actual outcomes regarding transportation in the city. This is something that we grapple with and agonize over. While Pune may compare favourably with other cities in India on some counts, we are still a far cry from the high standards set by cities worldwide, not just in the developed world, but also cities similar to ours in Latin America.

Download the 2010-11 annual report

Pune has for several years allocated the largest share of its budget to the transportation sector. At around 30% of the total budget, this sector gets a larger share than important sectors like health, sanitation & slum rehabilitation together.

The country has formulated a National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP) and the city has commissioned a Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP). One would expect that allocation of money within the transportation sector would follow the principles of NUTP and attempt to achieve the goals laid down in the CMP. These documents have clearly mentioned their key focus as “mobility of people rather than vehicles” and keeping with this spirit, the main emphasis of CMP has been promoting public and non motorized transport in the city, and states that their modal shares should be 40% and 50% respectively by 2030.

Parisar analyzed the budgetary allocation on transportation sector in Pune’s 2011-12 budget. It emerges that more than 60% of the transport sector budget is allocated to projects which are motor vehicle friendly like building of new roads, flyovers, parking structures and re-tarring of roads. On the other hand, non-motorized friendly and public-transport friendly projects get only 9% and 18% respectively of the budget allocation in spite of including doubtful projects such as subways, skywalks, BRT (as currently implemented) and Metro (as currently planned). This clearly suggests that the city has not paid any attention to the guidelines of NUTP or the goals set by CMP while preparing its budget.