Cities real drivers of growth, urbanisation an opportunity: CM

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said his government has been focusing on the development of cities as they are the real "drivers of economic growth".

He said that with the cities contributing 65 per cent towards the country's GDP, urbanisation should be considered an opportunity.

Fadnavis was addressing an election rally at Nehru Maidan here to campaign for BJP candidate Sunil Deshmukh (Amravati) and Shiv Sena candidate Preeti Band (Badnera).

"Urbanisation should be looked at as an opportunity of development...Cities are the engines of growth, contributing 65 per cent towards the GDP. The state government has been expediting the development of cities and process of urbanisation," he said.

"Keeping the demands of the future in mind, we are developing cities and addressing issues like underground drainages, water, roads for the development of common man," he said, adding that by 2021 nobody would remain homeless in the state.

Amravati will become one of the most modern cities in the country over the next five years as the government is putting in over Rs 5,000 crore to develop it, he said.

He claimed that the BJP-Shiv Sena government in the state doubled the development works as compared to what the Congress-NCP did in its 15 years of rule.

According to him his government was committed to making the state slum-free.

"Slums in the cities are being regularised and slum dwellers are being given 'pattas' (right of ownership) besides a grant ranging between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh for building pakka houses," he said.

Stating that Maharashtra was number one in the country in terms of investment and industrial development, the chief minister also assured that the state would also top the country in the field of education over the next three years.