Aizawl, Sep 18 (IANS): The central government has sanctioned 134 projects worth Rs.2,610 crore for poverty alleviation, development of infrastructure and providing basic services in the urban areas of the eight northeastern states, an official release said here Sunday.
"Under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), 134 projects with a cost of Rs.2,610 crore have been approved," said the release quoting union Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Kumari Selja.
The union ministry will disburse Rs.2,247 crore to Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura and Sikkim for these projects. Any additional cost will have to be borne by the state governments.
The union minister, who came here Friday, addressed a two-day northeast conclave on the issue. Poverty alleviation and urban development ministers and top officials of the northeastern states took part.
During deliberations, Kumari Selja made detailed presentations on the scope of various urban development schemes and projects.
The release said that under the Basic Services to the Urban Poor and Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme, the union ministry has recently approved 59 projects worth Rs.910 crore for the northeastern states.
"All the projects would be implemented within the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-13 to 2016-2017)," the release stated.
According to the 2011 Census, the eight northeastern states have 415 cities and small towns.
During her stay in Aizawl, Kumari Selja Saturday inaugurated a mini sports complex built at a cost of Rs.6.39 crore.