World Bank’s Chennai City Partnership project to begin in 2021 – The New Indian Express

Chennai News

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The World Bank-funded Chennai City Partnership will be implemented over a period of nine years (2021-2030) with a total estimated budget of USD 1.43 billion for development of institutions, infrastructure and systems, official sources said. The World Bank had held discussions with State government over the last one year to develop the Chennai City Partnership model to ensure city’s sustainable growth.

The programme will be managed by Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Development Board (TNIDB) at the State-level and will provide financial and technical support to all key service delivery institutions in Chennai’s urban local bodies, the sources added. The first phase is proposed as a multi-sector Program-for-Results (PforR) operation, which would set a programmatic framework for multi-sectoral service delivery reforms and investments.

The PforR operation will focus on urban mobility, with a focus on strengthening bus service delivery, municipal pedestrian infrastructure and women’s safety in public spaces.  It will also focus on water resource management and resilience (including flood management), water supply and sanitation, municipal public healthcare services, municipal solid waste management and emergency management and response.

The PforR would be completed in five years, with financial support USD 430 million-150 million from International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the lending arm of World Bank, potential co-financing of USD 150 million from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and `130 million as counterpart funding from the State government.

It is learnt that the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) could also take shape with funding from the World Bank. Previously, the implementation of CUMTA was stalled after the World Bank put forth conditions on restructuring CUMTA under the Chennai City partnership programme. At present, CUMTA does not have any budget allocation or its own office space.

GCC as nodal agency

Greater Chennai Corporation would act as a nodal agency while implementing the project, and several other departments would also take part in the process

Source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2020/dec/23/world-banks-chennai-city-partnership-project-to-begin-in-2021-2239921.html