Kerala aims for a capital investment scheme; to implement urban reforms

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Government of Kerala has decided to carry out urban reforms by implementing a local area plan, creating sponge cities, and modernizing building by-laws to be eligible for the Government of India’s Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment Scheme for this year. Under this scheme, urban reforms are one of the components for which financial assistance is provided to the state governments. Urban reforms also include the implementation of transit-oriented development and the adoption of transferable development rights.

According to the government’s guidelines, Kerala is eligible to get central assistance up to ₹500 crores under the component of urban reforms for the scheme. The state government has to provide the status report of urban reforms and the committed timelines for preparing proposals for implementing reforms to claim the incentives.

Integrated water resource management plans will take place for the conservation and rejuvenation of water resources and wastewater reuse for building sponge cities. The state will also integrate departments granting No Objection Certificates (NOCs) with the Intelligent Building Plan Management System (IBPMS) to modernize building by-laws. Transit-oriented development will be incorporated in the master plans for cities with more than five lakh population.

The government will also frame a new rule for transferable development rights next year and will encourage the urban local bodies to implement local area plans. The state has constituted a state-level steering committee and a sub-committee to supervise the activities.