CHENNAI: The state government has decided to dust off plans for an agency covering all modes of transport in the city. A year after notifying rules for the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (Cumta), steps are now being taken to give more teeth to the authority. The development comes in the wake of the World Bank stressing that the multi-department body be converted into a single window agency for infrastructure projects.
Officials in the housing and urban development department said the aim was to integrate multimodal transport. “The prime responsibility of Cumta is to design all infrastructure projects including metro rail alignment, flyovers and laying pipelines. Unfortunately, it operates only as a coordinating agency as independent departments continue to execute infrastructure projects (like in the past),” an official said. This has rendered the authority toothless, he added. A World Bank team that had met state government officials last year stressed that Cumta be a nodal agency for all infrastructure projects executed in the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) which could then be financed by the funding agency. “They have reiterated it during their meeting in January this year that things should be in place by March. We wanted to transform Cumta into a statutory body where any work or project carried out on roads are executed through it and it serves larger sections, instead of showcasing a particular department’s project,” the official said. The revival includes design and funding for projects. “Anything done on the road from replacing signals to building flyovers and coming up with metro rail alignment would come under the purview of Cumta that would be strengthened with more powers,” an official privy to developments said.
As per the plans, the Cumta chairman, who is the transport minister according to the Act, will be replaced by the chief minister. While an IAS officer would be appointed as member secretary, the authority will be based at Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) office. Currently, a chief planner of CMDA holds charge as member secretary of Cumta. Transport department sources said amending the Act was under discussion.
Urban development experts said it was need of the hour because various departments were carrying out their own projects and the whole development process lacked larger vision. Former professor of urban engineering at Anna University K P Subramanian said a single agency would help implement infrastructure projects effectively. “Countries like Singapore are implementing it such a manner,” he said.
Officials in the housing and urban development department said the aim was to integrate multimodal transport. “The prime responsibility of Cumta is to design all infrastructure projects including metro rail alignment, flyovers and laying pipelines. Unfortunately, it operates only as a coordinating agency as independent departments continue to execute infrastructure projects (like in the past),” an official said. This has rendered the authority toothless, he added. A World Bank team that had met state government officials last year stressed that Cumta be a nodal agency for all infrastructure projects executed in the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) which could then be financed by the funding agency. “They have reiterated it during their meeting in January this year that things should be in place by March. We wanted to transform Cumta into a statutory body where any work or project carried out on roads are executed through it and it serves larger sections, instead of showcasing a particular department’s project,” the official said. The revival includes design and funding for projects. “Anything done on the road from replacing signals to building flyovers and coming up with metro rail alignment would come under the purview of Cumta that would be strengthened with more powers,” an official privy to developments said.
As per the plans, the Cumta chairman, who is the transport minister according to the Act, will be replaced by the chief minister. While an IAS officer would be appointed as member secretary, the authority will be based at Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) office. Currently, a chief planner of CMDA holds charge as member secretary of Cumta. Transport department sources said amending the Act was under discussion.
Urban development experts said it was need of the hour because various departments were carrying out their own projects and the whole development process lacked larger vision. Former professor of urban engineering at Anna University K P Subramanian said a single agency would help implement infrastructure projects effectively. “Countries like Singapore are implementing it such a manner,” he said.
Get the app