States given Rs 2,969 cr to tackle waterlogging problem under AMRUT scheme says Hardeep Singh Puri

New Delhi: To help states tackle the problem of waterlogging in the aftermath of heavy rains, the Centre has provided Rs 2,969 crore under its AMRUT scheme, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday. [caption id=“attachment_4310719” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri. PTI[/caption] The Centre is “happy to provide states Rs 2,969 crore for stormwater drainage” under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), he said during the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha. States can reallocate funds as per their priority. The first tranche of the Central assistance under AMRUT scheme has been allocated to all states barring a few which did not meet certain milestones. “Under AMRUT, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has approved the State Annual Action Plans (SAAPs) submitted by States and Union Territories for Rs 77,640 crore, including Central Assistance (CA) of Rs 35,989.70 crore in three rounds,” he said He said the Central assistance is released in three installments including one installment of 20 percent and two subsequent installments of 40 percent each. Puri said barring Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya the first installment has been released to all states on approval of state annual action plans (SAAP). The second and third installments are released after submission of utilisation certificates for 75 percent or more of central assistance released and corresponding state share along with the report of Independent Review and Monitoring Agency (IRMA), he said. “The first installment of CA works out to Rs 7,198 crore and the Ministry has released Rs 7,138 crore (99.17 percent) towards this. The second installment has also been released to states which have submitted their claims, complete in all response,” he added. So far the Ministry has released Central assistance of Rs 13,047 crore to all states and union territories, he added.