Working Groups for the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-2012)

Urban Development (excluding Urban Transport), Urban Water Supply and Sanitation (including low cost sanitation, sewerage and solid waste management) and Urban Environment

Dated 1st May 2006

In the context of formulation of the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-2012), it has been decided to set up a Working Group on Urban Development (excluding Urban Transport), Urban Water Supply and Sanitation (including low cost sanitation, sewerage and sold waste management) and Urban Environment for Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-2012). The composition of the Working Group will be as follows :

2. The terms and reference of the Working Group are as follows:

Urban Development (excluding Urban Transport)

1. To review critically the policies, performance of various schemes and programmes during the Tenth Five Year Plan in the Urban Development Sector, including foreign aided schemes with particular reference to the achievements of prescribed objectives, targets and pinpoint the short comings.
2. To suggest necessary modification in the schemes, if any, required for better implementation.
3. To review the follow-up action of the 74^th Constitutional Amendment which envisaged effective decentralization of the functions to the Municipalities including authorization to levy, collect and appropriate taxes and duties to augment the resources of ULBs as part of Urban Sector reforms.
4. Review of implementation of reforms by States and ULBs; to review preparation of city development plans; Review of steps already initiated for provision of infrastructure and e-governance in mission cities and non-mission cities under Jawaharalal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). To suggest priorities under these programmes and to estimate outcomes which would be achieved under this mission during Eleventh Plan.
5. To suggest objectives, policies, strategies and programmes for the improvement of Urban Development Sector during the Eleventh Five Year Plan.
6. To make recommendation regarding land use planning; to suggest integration of land use planning with transportation planning.
7. To suggest policies to be followed regarding new towns.

Urban Water Supply/Sanitation/Solid Waste Management

1. To make a realistic assessment of the current availability of water supply and sanitation facilities including sewerage and sewage treatment, low cost sanitation and solid waste management in urban areas of the country and to identify the main problems and weaknesses, if any, in the current policies, programmes and schemes.
2. To formulate objectives, policies, strategies and methodology for the Eleventh Five Year Plan, suggest modifications, if any, in the existing schemes, formulate new programmes, designed to address the specific problems in the urban water supply and sanitation. Policy issues that may be considered in addressing the given terms of reference may particularly include:-
   1. A realistic assessment of the extent to which contribution may be made by the beneficiaries and to suggest measures for additional resource mobilization through financial institutions, private sector efforts, special levies and cess etc.
   2. Emphasis be given to low cost technology options including indigenously developed alternatives and age-old community based practices to reduce the gap between demand and supply. Emphasis also be given to sustainability of the programmes/schemes. Ways and means be identified to remove regional imbalances in provision of these facilities.
   3. The concept of Zero Based Budgeting could be adopted while undertaking a review of all the on-going and proposed Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes for the Eleventh Plan. Convergence of related Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes within the Sector as well as across the Sectors so as to obviate any duplication of effort and a thin spread of resources, as also to reduce the overhead cost could be pursued with renewed emphasis.
3. To suggest appropriate technologies for effective utilization of the limited resources available, in particular, appropriate guidelines for selecting technologies which are technically and economically viable and socially acceptable and affordable and to suggest steps for extensive use of such technologies, to suggest areas of further R and D/S and T for improvement of the sector.
4. To review the existing infrastructure, administrative and organizational set up, both at the Centre and States, for planning, implementation, operation and maintenance, MIS, monitoring and evaluation, computerization, etc. and suggest necessary improvement to achieve the objectives and targets of the Eleventh Plan.
5. To review the current status of operation and maintenance of urban water supply and sanitation schemes and suggest policies, strategy, ways and means for effective operation and maintenance of the assets created including transfer of responsibilities ofULBs.
6. To make a critical review of the achievements, roles and involvement of the International and other External Support Agencies like WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, World Bank and bilateral donors and define their future roles keeping in view the national policies, objectives and priorities.
7. To review the impact of water supply and sanitation activities on reduction in incidence of infant mortality, mortality and communicable diseases in urban areas and to suggest appropriate policies and programmes.
8. To suggest suitable measures for conjunctive use of surface and ground water, integrated management of water resources, sustainability of water sources including conservation of water, rain water harvesting and recharging of aquifers, recycling of treated waste water etc.
9. To review the impact of industrial, agricultural and municipal waste on drinking water sources and suggest remedial measures for abatement of such contamination.
10. To suggest targets, preferably disaggregated, to be achieved for urban areas of different sizes in the Eleventh Five Year Plan.
11. To make a realistic estimate of outlays required for achieving the desired goals and objectives and targets, set for the Eleventh Plan.

The Working Group will use the existing studies and reports and undertake new studies if these are inescapable.

3.1 The Chairman of the Working Group may co-opt any additional member(s), official or non-official and constitute smaller groups/sub-groups as may be considered necessary.

3.2 The expenditure on TA/DA of the official members in connection with the meetings of the Group will be met by the respective Government Departments/Institutions to which they belong. TA/DA of non-official members will be borne by the Ministry of Urban Development under Government rules.

4. The report of the Working Group may be submitted to the Planning Commission within a period of four months.