Urban renewal schemes a milestone in welfare of poor: Amit Shah

BJP president Amit Shah said on Thursday said the launch of three initiatives for urban renewal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will prove to be "a milestone in the welfare of the poor".

Modi on Thursday launched three initiatives -- Smart Cities mission, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation and Housing for All.

There will be expenditure of Rs.48,000 crore on smart city mission, Rs.50,000 crore on the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation which entails coverage of 500 cities and Rs.300,000 crore on the initiative to provide housing to all in urban areas by 2022, an official release cited Shah as having said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party chief said Modi had made it clear that the poor people cannot be left to their fate, and held private property developers cannot decide on the way a city will grow.

"The BJP-led central government is committed to provide housing to all and improve standard of life of people. The government is working to empower every urban poor so that he has his own house," Shah said.

Referring to schemes of the central government including Jan-Dhan Yojana, he said these had been formulated with focus on the poor, the labourers and the farmers.