CEE Oct-Dec 2012

hub for economic development. However, social development, education and basic infrastructure should all be made available to urban and rural areas alike. Service-level benchmarks should also be set for rural areas and transitioning cities as well. This spatial , functional and infrastructural linkages to growing cities with own hinterlands need to be promoted and secured so that they become centres of agglomeration economies. Estimates show about 70 per cent of the commercial buildings that will exist in Indian cities by 2030 have yet to be built. It is said that India has an advantage of not having built the infrastructure of tomorrow, and it holds good for both urban and rural infrastructure. This is an opportune moment to think on these lines where both urban and rural infrastructure is built in an integrated manner where they complement each other. This is also an opportune moment to bring in policies that support in creating green infrastructure. Urbanisation is a continuing process and some of the villages will urbanize in future. A few of the states like Rajasthan are planning to build human resource capacity of the district level Town and Country Planning Organization and have appointed young urban planners to support these. The Town and Country Planning Organization of Rajasthan is also preparing development plans for villages. The district planning committees and the metropolitan planning committees stipulated under the 73th and 74th Constitution Amendment Acts, respectively could have a major role to play in integrating urban and rural planning and coming up of regional infrastructure. As the urban centres grow in size and sprawl more and more towards villages, an integrated approach to planning for and provision of regional infrastructure should be focused upon. If we look at cities alone, even under JNNURM the infrastructure projects funded were stand-alone projects and had no precedence of a larger infrastructure plan , or even a part of an integrated development vision of the city. While NIJNNURM seeks to influence larger reaches of cities and towns with larger volumes of funding and capacity building initiatives, it should also consider funding infrastructure that connects larger urban centres with smaller surrounding towns, agglomeration areas transitioning areas or areas of influence to metro cities. We have to plan urban and rural areas as complimentary to each other and this should reflect in policies, planning practices and investment decisions. Central and state– sponsored schemes should refrain from disjointed policies , at least for the infrastructure and services sector. Only then can we move towards inclusive and sustainable development. Courtesy: The Financial Express, N. Delhi, 17.10.2012. JK LAKSHMI CEMENT- CEMENTING A MAZBOOT INDIA The strong foundation Anticipating growth and the need for strong infrastructure to sustain the country's growing economy, JK Lakshmi Cement was set up in 1982. Innovation, savoirfaire and state-of-the-art technology-the trio has embedded the journey of J K Lakshmi Cement with strength. A dedicated and committed team of professionals, a strong distribution network that guaranteed last mile delievery and , most importantly, brand differentiation. J K Lakshmi Cement became the first brand in North India to introduce OPC 43 grade cement, have the ISO 9002 certificate and to launch coloured cement bags to create product differentiation. Proving its mettle, the brand built a loyal consumer base for itself. The superior product quality has been J K Lakshmi Cement's core strength. "Mazbooti Guaranteed" is the expression of the brand's promise of delivering superior quality and innovative products that would help in building not only stronger homes to live in but in a larger perspective, a stronger nation. The brand has effectively communicated its promise to the target audience and has helped in creating an emotional connect with the consumer. J K Lakshmi Cement focuses on the needs of its end consumers and thus produces products according to their specifi c requirements. With the aim of providing a smarter way to undertake construction, J K Lakshmi Cement Launched RMC (Ready Mix Concrete) under the brand name 'J K Lakshmi Power Mix', which guarantees quality with quantity and branded PoP with the brand Name 'J K Lakshmi plast'-a superfine POP (Plaster of Paris) with exceptionally superior whiteness that guarantees beautiful homes. 48