More than Rs. 18 lakh crores invested since 2014 in the transformation of our cities and towns: Housing & Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep S Puri

Oct 05,2023

 “It is not enough to think in terms of traditional infrastructure creation. That was a thing of the past. Instead, let us look to the future and focus on creating a holistic ecosystem for ensuring last-mile access to services; enhanced operational efficiencies; and integration of digital technology”, said Shri Hardeep S Puri, Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum & Natural Gas, in his address at the  National Workshop on Capacity Building of Urban Local Bodies. “To achieve these outcomes, we need to increase our capabilities – individually, organisationally, and institutionally. That is the aim of this workshop”, he said.

Highlighting the purpose of the Capacity Building Workshop , the Minister said that through this workshop, we aim to cultivate a unified approach towards capacity building for all the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across the country.

Addressing the gathering, the Minister said that there was a time when India used to be categorised as a ‘reluctant urbaniser’. Urban Development had faced neglect as only Rs. 1.78 lakh crores were invested in urban areas between 2004 to 2014, he said.

Referring to the initiatives undertaken by Government of India for Urban Development since 2014, Shri Puri said that the Prime Minister has brought about a revolution in India’s urban development paradigm. More than Rs. 18 lakh crores have been invested since 2014 in the transformation of our cities and towns.

The Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs said that the Government under visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has laid emphasis on providing ULBs with greater financial resources and access. While the 13th Finance Commission granted Rs. 23,111 crores to ULBs between the period 2010-11 to 2014-2015; under the 15th Finance Commission, there has been a six-fold increase to Rs. 1,55,628 crores between 2021-22 to 2025-2026, he added.

The Minister said that through the AMRUT mission, the government has pressed for cities to go to the markets to raise capital investment. 12 cities have raised more than Rs. 4,384 crores through municipal bonds. Such actions have increased ULB creditworthiness and made them attractive investment destinations, he said.

Speaking on the emphasis being laid on the reforms in urban planning, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri said that the government has disbursed funds directly to state governments to undertake urban planning reforms. The reforms such as modernisation of building bye laws; transit-oriented development; adoption of Transferable Development Rights; integration of blue and green infrastructure through nature-based solutions; affordable Housing through in-situ rehabilitation; increased capacity building and recruitment; GIS-based master planning; and Online Building Permission Systems (OBPS) have been prioritised.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the Capacity Building Commission (CBC) jointly organized the national-level workshop today, to foster a unified approach to capacity building for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across India under Mission Karmayogi. The primary focus of this workshop was to identify challenges and propose solutions to enhance capacity-building initiatives at the ULB level, thus strengthening their ability to contribute to national-level priorities.

The workshop marked the launch of three key initiatives, i.e., 'Annual Capacity Building Plan (ACBP) for MoHUA', Annual Capacity Building Plans for 6 pilot ULBs (Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Mysuru, Rajkot, Nagpur, and Pune) and 'a Comprehensive Toolkit for preparing the Capacity Building Plans for ULBs.' Besides Shri Hardeep S. Puri, Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum & Natural Gas, Shri Tarun Kapoor, Advisor to Prime Minister,  Shri Manoj Joshi, Secretary, MoHUA also graced the occasion and stressed the importance of elevating the quality and capacity of ULBs.

The event was attended by more than 250 officials including  Municipal Commissioners / senior officials from Urban Local Bodies, State Government, knowledge and industry partners, faculty from Training Institutes, and officials of MoHUA and CBC. The workshop witnessed productive interaction and discussions underscoring the significance of continuous improvements and introducing new skills within ULBs.

The participants attending the workshop were taken through the approach, observations and learnings identified in preparation of Annual Capacity Building Plan for 6 pilot cities (Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Mysuru, Rajkot, Nagpur, and Pune),  identify and propose solutions to improve capacity-building initiatives at the ULB level, share best practices and resources amongst ULBs and Training Institutes, and create a framework and approach that can be applied to other ULBs in the future. In addition to this, the six ULBs have embarked on their iGOT Karmayogi journey, enrolling a total of 3,852 officials who have collectively completed over 4,561 courses.

The workshop is a crucial step towards realizing the goals of Mission Karmayogi, Prime Minister’s vision of a Naya Bharat and ensuring that ULBs across the country are equipped to contribute effectively to national development and governance. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Capacity Building Commission remain committed to these objectives and look forward to further collaborative efforts.

About Mission Karmayogi

The Government of India launched the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB) - Mission Karmayogi to promote citizen-centred governance and facilitates a shift from a 'rule-based' to a 'role-based' learning system, emphasizing competency-driven capacity building and human resource management.

It is a visionary initiative of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, and is designed to revolutionize and reinforce the capacity-building framework within the Indian bureaucracy. This mission seeks to equip civil servants with the necessary skills, knowledge, and mindset to contribute to the nation's development and governance effectively. It is committed to realizing the Prime Minister's vision for a reformed civil service, essential to meet the aspirations of a rapidly evolving nation.