'New urban development mission for improving infra'

President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday said the Indian government had proposed to launch a new Urban Development Mission to support states by handholding them in building infrastructure and services in step with the rapid pace of urbanisation.

In his address at the XI World Metropolis Congress here, the President said, "A new mission mode programme is being designed to take up these activities for 500 cities. Private sector participation by way of PPP mode would be encouraged in the urban sector".

Emphasising the need for planned urbanisation across the globe, he said in India too, there was a realisation that planned urbanisation is key to the country's growth potential.