Focus is to be on efficiency in urban infrastructure and service delivery mechanisms, community participation, and accountability of ULBs/ Parastatal agencies towards citizens.

[1] The scheme was officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 3 December 2005[2] as a programme meant to improve the quality of life and infrastructure in the cities.

It was launched in 2005 for a seven-year period (up to March 2011) to encourage cities to initiate steps for bringing phased improvements in their civic service levels.

JNNURM aims at creating 'economically productive, efficient, equitable and responsive cities' by a strategy of upgrading the social and economic infrastructure in cities, provision of Basic Services to Urban Poor (BSUP)[3] and wide-ranging urban sector reforms to strengthen municipal governance in accordance with the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992.

JNNURM primarily incorporates two sub-missions into its program: In addition to this, it has two further components:[5] The duration of the mission is seven years beginning from December 2005.

Currently, ten projects are covered by JNNURM funds pertaining to road network, storm water drains, bus rapid transit system, water supply, solid waste management, sewage treatment, river and lake improvement, slum improvement and rehabilitation, all fall under its scope.

(3) Release and Leveraging of Funds: It is expected that the JNNURM assistance would serve to catalyse the flow of investment into the urban infrastructure sector across the country.

[1] Expected Outcomes (1) Modern and transparent budgeting, accounting, financial management systems, designed and adopted for all urban service and governance functions.

(4) Financially self-sustaining agencies for urban governance and service delivery will be established, through reforms to major revenue instruments.

(6) E-governance applications will be introduced in core functions of ULBs/Parastatal resulting in reduced cost and time of service delivery processes.

[10] Public disclosure and community participation laws have initially progressed slowly, with only five states managing to enact them as part of the reform agenda as of 2009.