Kashi's Development Is A Roadmap For Other Cities: PM Modi At Mayors' Conference | Key Points

PM Modi inaugurated the All India Mayors' Conference which marks the beginning of a month-long celebration in Varanasi due to the inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath Dham. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Image: PTI)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and addressed the All India Mayors' Conference via video conferencing which has been organised in Varanasi.

The conference is being held in Deen Dayal Upadhyay-Business Facilitation Center (DDUTFC) located in Bada Lalpur. This conference marks the beginning of a month-long celebration in Varanasi due to the inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath Dham. 

The Prime Minister addressed the conference which registered the participation of over 120 mayors.

Highlights of PM Modi's speech

• Appreciating the work of the mayors, PM Modi said, "I believe that all the Mayors present here have left no stones unturned for the bright future and development of their cities. This program in Kashi is very important for the growth of cities in India."
• Hailing the progress made by Kashi in the past few years, PM Modi said that the development in Kashi is a roadmap for many other cities in the country. The majority of our cities are traditional cities. Their development has also been in a traditional way. We can learn from such places about how local skills & products can be the identity of that city.
• Speaking about how India's culture and heritage are contributing to the development of the country, PM Modi said, "We should believe in evolution. India does not need revolution today. We don't need to demolish our heritage buildings and reconstruct them rather we need to rejuvenate them. I want all the Mayors to take an initiative to bring their city to the top of the cleanest city list."
• The Prime Minister further said that the authorities need to focus on making the city a hub of a vibrant economy. He said, "There is a need to consider how to strengthen MSMEs in our growth model."
• Talking about the upliftment of street vendors, PM Modi said that everyone sees them struggling and leading a difficult journey filled with troubles and to help them the government has brought PM Svanidhi Yojana. PM Modi urged the mayors to introduce a program and help the vendors take benefit from the govt scheme. He also asked the mayors to teach the street vendors about the digital payment ecosystem.

 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri also inaugurate a three-day exhibition on the theme "Changing Urban Environment" in the TFC premises on the occasion of the Mayor's conference scheduled at Deen Dayal Upadhyay-Business Facilitation Center.

This exhibition is being organised from December 17 to 19 to showcase the key achievements of the government of India and government of Uttar Pradesh in the sphere of urban development.

The PMO said that mayors from various states participated in the conference whose theme is New Urban India.

PMO further said that it has been the constant endeavour of the Prime Minister to ensure ease of living in urban areas, it noted, adding the government has launched multiple schemes and initiatives to address the issues of dilapidated urban infrastructure and lack of amenities.

A special focus of these efforts has been the state of Uttar Pradesh, which has witnessed tremendous progress and transformation of the urban landscape, especially in the last five years, the PMO said.