New Cities Will Create New Identity For India In 21st Century: PM Modi At Post-Budget Webinar

In his post-budget webinar address on 'Urban Planning, Development and Sanitation', the PM emphasised that with rapid urbanisation it is important to build infrastructure that is futuristic.

PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday said new cities that are being developed will create a new identity for India in the 21st century. Modi was addressing the post-budget webinar on 'Urban Planning, Development and Sanitation'. The PM emphasised that with rapid urbanisation, it is important to build infrastructure that is futuristic.

On waste processing and development of cities, Modi said, “Today, by processing the waste, work is being done to free the cities from the mountains of garbage. An important pillar in city development is transport planning. Green mobility, broadening of roads & elevated roads are some things we have to include in our transport planning.

“Urban planning and Urban governance experts should come out with innovative ideas be it, GIS-based master planning, efficient human resources, or capacity building,” Modi added during his speech.

The PM said that urban planning and urban governance both play a major role in the development and noted that for urban development the vision is developing new cities and upgrading facilities in old cities.

The webinar is led by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and co-led by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

The discussions will revolve around the budget announcements pertaining to various themes in coordination with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, and the Jal Shakti Ministry.

 SafaiMitras, leading NGOs, civil society organisations, worker associations, financial institutions, urban planners, industry representatives, research institutions, public representatives, government officials will participate in the webinar and share their inputs.

The stakeholders will deliberate and prepare implementation strategy and timelines pertaining to budget announcements, including mechanised sanitation facilities in all cities to ensure transition from man-hole to machine-hole, wet and dry waste management, waste to wealth plants under GOBARdhan scheme, scope of processed wet waste for PM-PRANAM, urban planning reforms and scheme for special assistance to states for capital investment 2023-24, Urban Infrastructure Development Fund for tier-2 and tier-3 cities, ring fencing of user charges and property tax reforms.