PM launches three mega urban schemes today
Updated: Jun 25, 2015 02:49:18pm
Stressing on the need for people centric urban planning and development, he said that for the first time in the county such an effort has been launched.
Defining Smart City as one which is one or two steps ahead of the aspirations of the people, Prime Minster said smart city aspirants are being selected through a process of competition and with effective citizen participation ending the ‘top down’ approach and leading to ‘people centric’ urban development.
He further said that the new schemes were formulated after extensive consultations with all the stakeholders, the biggest of its kind in the country so far.
Modi noted that the management of urbanization in the country offered the biggest challenge and opportunity for the people and elected municipal leadership to contribute to transforming urban India.
Stating that public representatives are remembered for the good work they did during their tenures, the Prime Minister urged Mayors and Municipal Chairpersons attending the launch to contribute for the good of the people. He reminded them that the 500 of them assembled have the responsibility of ensuring better quality of life for 40 per cent of the country’s population that either lives in urban areas or dependent on them for livelihood. He urged them to help migrants to urban areas meet their aspirations.
Stating that urbanization should be viewed as an opportunity, Modi noted that had this been recognized about 30 years ago, situation would have been far better today. He said that with clear vision and effective planning, all possible hurdles could be overcome and even resource mobilization would not be an issue.
The Prime Minister observed that a house would be a major turning point in the lives of the poor as it would motivate them towards higher goals like earning and saving more for further bettering their living standards. He said that the Government is committed to enable 2 cr urban poor own their houses by the year 2022, the 75 year of Independence of the Country.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Urban Development and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation M Venkaiah Naidu said that the Government was keen to promote inclusive development and the new schemes are pro-poor in their orientation.
Elaborating on this Naidu said that Smart Cities, AMRUT and Housing Mission would help the urban poor through increased access to water supply, sewer connections, public transportation, housing, improved urban governance ensuring transparency and accountability and better delivery of services, enhanced employment opportunities etc.
Naidu said that several initiatives launched at the behest of the Prime Minister like Skill India, Make in India, Digital India, Clean India, PM’s Jan Dhan Yojana, PAHAL, Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao, National Institute for Transformation of India (NITI Ayog) etc were all aimed at transforming the country to enable it realise its full potential. (KNN Bureau)





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