Urban transformation making giant strides, says govt

Urban transformation has made giant strides in the past four years due to flagship missions and programmes of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the government said on Tuesday.

The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Smart Cities Mission are not only transforming the urban landscape of the country but also ensuring ease of living for the citizens, it said in a statement.

The investment in urban rejuvenation increased 554 per cent from Rs 1.57 lakh crore during 2004-14 to Rs 10.31 lakh crore during 2014-19. The investment in PMAY(U), AMRUT and SCM is about Rs 8 lakh crore.

The missions being implemented are way ahead of the targets and timelines. The transformation and impact for the cities will continue to be the focus in the coming years, the statement said.

Sanctioning of more than 81 lakh houses with a total investment of Rs 4.83 lakh crore under PMAY(U) has helped meet the objective of providing a roof to a large section of the urban poor population. About 48 lakh houses are at various stages of construction while 26 lakh houses have already been completed and handed over.

Mission targets for Housing for All by 2022 are ahead of the timeliness and targets. Over 13 lakh houses are being built using new technologies. Central assistance worth Rs 1.26 lakh crore has been committed while more than Rs 51,000 crore has already released.

As a measure towards women empowerment, houses under PMAY(U) are provided in the name of the woman or joint ownership, said the statement.

Under AMRUT, state plans worth Rs 77,640 crore have already been approved. More than 22 crore people have benefited from these initiatives.

The Smart Cities Mission, launched on June 25, 2015, aims at strengthening urban infrastructure through the application of smart solutions and provide a better quality of life to citizens. All 100 special purpose vehicles (SPVs) have been formed and 5,151 projects worth Rs 2.05 lakh crore sanctioned.

About 57 per cent or 3,589 projects worth Rs 133,407 crore have been tendered of which 38 per cent worth Rs 88,898 crore have been grounded for implementation and construction or are completed. The number of projects tendered in SCM has accelerated by 240 per cent since March 2018.