'Urban projects fail to provide basic services'

New Delhi, April 25 (IANS) The number of projects undertaken by the urban development ministry for transition to quasi-urban society has not been accompanied by a commensurate increase in the supply of basic urban services, a report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Urban Development said Wednesday.

The committee chaired by Member of Parliament Sharad Yadav said that the urban population has increased from over 28 crore in 2001 to 37 crore in 2011.

"The transition to quasi-urban society has not been accompanied by a commensurate increase in the supply of basic urban services like water supply, sewerage and drainage network, garbage disposal facilities, roads, public transport, street lighting and pedestrian pathways," the committee said in its report tabled in the Lok Sabha.

It further said that the supply of land and housing has not kept pace with the increase in urban population.

"The committee was distressed that to note that keeping in view the plight of India's urban condition and regular increase in the rate of inflation, the increase of allocation was not more than five percent which was very minuscule for successful implementation of various schemes," it observed.