PM assesses preparations towards “Housing For All”

[Hindustani78]

Minister Harish Rao laying the foundation for the double-bedroom houses in Siddipet district on Sunday. | Photo Credit: Mohd Arif
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...for-double-bedroom-houses/article17009232.ece

Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao said the government was committed to complete the construction of double-bedroom houses across the State as promised by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

Addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone for the construction of double-bedroom houses at Dubbak on Sunday, Mr. Harish Rao said the government has been spending Rs. 5.3 lakh on each house, and all eligible beneficiaries would be extended the same.

A total of 900 houses were being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs. 55 crore in the constituency, and more houses would be sanctioned after taking consent from the Chief Minister, he said. The Minister has also promised to develop Ramasamudram on the lines of Komaticheruvu.

MLA S. Ramalinga Reddy also participated in the programme.

Earlier on Saturday night, Mr. Rao declared two villages — Venkatapur and Mittapally — as cashless villages.

 

[Hindustani78]

Cases booked against contractors but not officials, no effort to recover costs from erring contractors
The series of controversies surrounding the ₹78-crore Indiramma Housing phase II project at YSR Nagar here refuse to die down even eight years after the project, aimed at constructing 6,894 houses for the poor, commenced way back in 2008.

The latest reports about irregularities surfaced with the officials finding gross violations in the policy matters with regard to the Indiramma Housing scheme itself in this particular instance.

While the beneficiaries in the rest of Andhra Pradesh were provided loans of Rs. 73,000 each, more funds were provided to the beneficiaries in the Nellore housing project. Here, the overall cost per unit went up to Rs. 1.08 lakh, but this did not help in quality works as the end result turned out to be complaints of poor construction and uninhabitable housing.

It is now found that the rules were relaxed in the housing scheme to make an exception here and to provide Rs. 73,000 as government loan, Rs. 30,000 as bank loan and Rs. 5,000 as contribution by the beneficiary in the YSR Nagar project here.

Another glaring violation was with regard to the allotment of construction works on nomination basis. Tenders were stated to have been initially called for three times, and there was said to be no response following which about 24 select contractors were given these works on nomination.

The whole controversy erupted after the beneficiaries did not come forward to occupy their houses on the plea that they were of very poor quality and were not worth residing in.

The Indiramma Housing Phase II project at YSR Nagar on Nellore outskirts. | Photo Credit: K_ RAVIKUMAR

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...YSR-Nagar-housing-project/article17070662.ece

After a high-level enquiry, criminal cases were filed against 24 contractors responsible for these works. Now it is found that these cases would not hold ground as the contractors received their total bill payments after the housing officials duly approved of the quality of their construction work.

The cases were filed against the contractors more than two years after the entire project was completed and this also would not make them liable for any poor quality any more.

These issues reportedly came up in the recent visit of the AP Legislature Committee on Government Assurances headed by P. Venkatesh, who is also said to have found fault with the manner in which the criminal cases were filed without trying to make any recovery from the erring contractors.

The district officials had made a thorough enquiry, in which it was recently revealed that 1,550 houses in the YSR Nagar project were allotted to bogus beneficiaries.

District Collector R. Mutyala Raju said that due process was being followed and objections were being called for before announcing the cancellation of these bogus allotments for the sake of re-allotment to genuine poor families once again.

The government sanctioned Rs. 6.73 crore afresh to create infrastructure facilities like drinking water, roads and electrification to enable beneficiaries live in the YSR Nagar. Repairs were also taken up in some houses to make them inhabitable for the beneficiaries.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
20-February, 2017 15:57 IST
90,095 more affordable houses sanctioned for urban poor under PMAY(Urban)

Rs.5,590 cr investment approved with Central assistance of Rs.1,188 cr

Madhya Pradesh gets 82,262 houses, J &K-4,915, Dadra and Nagar Haveli-803

Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation today approved construction of 90,095 more affordable houses for the benefit of urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) with an investment of Rs.5,590 cr and central assistance of Rs.1,188 cr.

Madhya Pradesh has been sanctioned 82,262 houses in 49 cities and towns with an investment of Rs.5,260 cr with central assistance of Rs.1,071 cr. Jammu & Kashmir got 4,915 houses in 24 cities and towns with an investment of Rs.240 cr and central assistance of Rs.74 cr. Dadra & Nagar Haveli’s capital Silvassa has been sanctioned 803 affordable houses with an investment of Rs.26 cr and central assistance of Rs.12 cr.

The approval accorded today was for construction of 46,823 new houses under the Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC) component of PMAY (Urban), enhancement of 773 houses in Jammu & Kashmir under BLC and building 42,499 new houses in Madhya Pradesh under Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) component.

In Madhya Pradesh, another 39,763 new houses will be built under BLC component under which an eligible beneficiary is assisted to build a house on the land owned by him/her.

City-wise approvals in Madhya Pradesh include: Indore-30,789 houses, Ratlam-6,419, Sagar-3,156, Ujjain-2,884, Katni-2,800, Shivpuri-2,625, Chindwara-2,508, Nagda-2,073, Jabalpur-2,012, Datia-1,726, Singrauli-1,716, Dabra-1,720, Vidisha-1,513, Damoh-1,480, Sehore-1,200, Sidhi-1,057, Astha-1,000 and Unchehara-1,000.

In Jammu & Kashmir, Srinagar has been approved 663 affordable houses, Handwara-602, Badgam-476, Baramulla-393, Doda-306, Pulwama-270, Kargil-261, Sopore-205, Ganderbal-185, Bhaderwah-176, Shopian-159, RS Pura-143, Samba-121, Kishtwar-113, Leh-99 and Poonch-96.

With this, total number of affordable houses approved for Madhya Pradesh under PMAY(Urban) has increased to 1,87,135 and for Jammu & Kashmir to 5,864.

With today’s approvals, construction of a total number of 16,51,687 affordable houses for the benefit of urban poor has been sanctioned so far under PMAY (Urban) with a total investment of Rs.89,072 cr with central assistance of Rs.25,819 cr.

Under BLC and AHP components of PMAY (Urban), central assistance of Rs.1.50 lakh is provided for each beneficiary.

 

[ashok321]

PM assesses preparations towards “Housing For All”

Balls!

Even in the US people lack housing.
Election is coming near, so are his gimmicks too.
Bragging baskar.

 

[Hindustani78]

The Union Minister for Urban Development, Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation and Information & Broadcasting, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu lighting the lamp to inaugurate the Swachh Shakti Saapth (Week), at Siddipet, in Telangana on March 07, 2017. The Minister for Irrigation, Marketing & Legislative Affairs for Telangana, Shri T. Harish Rao is also seen
.

The Union Minister for Urban Development, Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation and Information & Broadcasting, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu inspecting the two-bedroom house construction at Siddipet, in Telangana on March 07, 2017. The Minister for Irrigation, Marketing & Legislative Affairs for Telangana, Shri T. Harish Rao is also seen.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
22-March, 2017 12:30 IST
More affordable houses for urban poor sanctioned for Puducherry, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh

3,128 houses for Puducherry and 2,655 for Himachal Pradesh

Puducherry city gets 2,093 houses, Yanam-358, 924 for Siddipet(Telangana), Nalagarh(HP)-531

Total investment so far approved in affordable housing close to Rs.1.00 lakh crore mark


Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation has sanctioned 3,128 more affordable houses for the benefit of urban poor in Puducherry, 924 for Telangana and 2,655 for Himachal Pradesh under the Prime Minister’s Awas Yojana (Urban).

The Ministry approved 1,24,521 affordable houses for urban poor yesterday taking the total number of such houses being constructed under PMAY(Urban) with an approved investment of Rs.95,671 cr so far. Central assistance of Rs.27,766 cr has been approved for construction of these houses.

Noting that housing mission in urban areas is gaining momentum, Minister of HUPA Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu has directed the ministry officials to ensure that necessary measures were taken by the respective city and state governments for building houses for urban poor in quick time.

Puducherry has been sanctioned 3,128 houses in four towns under Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC) component of PMAY (Urban) at a total project cost of Rs.131 cr for which central assistance of Rs.47 cr has been approved. With this, total number of houses sanctioned for Puducherry has increased to 3,848.

Puducherry city has got 2,093 houses followed by Karaikal-592, Yanam-358 and Mahe-85 houses.

In Telanagana, Siddipet has been sanctioned enhancement of 924 houses under BLC component at a total cost of about Rs.14 crores for which central assistance of Rs.14 cr has been approved. With this, total number of houses sanctioned for the State under PMAY(Urban) has gone up to 81,405.

Himachal Pradesh has been sanctioned 2,655 houses for 12 towns at a total project cost of Rs.102 cr for which central assistance of Rs.40 cr has been approved. With this, total number of houses sanctioned for the State under PMAY(Urban) has increased to 4,569 so far.

In Himachal Pradesh, Nalagarh has been sanctioned 531 houses followed by Nahan-289, Dharamshala-227, Una-217, Mandi-174, Shimla-61, Chaba-57, Bilaspur-37, Solan-27, Baddi-25, Kullu-9 and Parwana-1.

Under BLC component of PMAY (Urban), the beneficiaries are provided central assistance of Rs.1.50 lakh each for construction of a pucca house on their own land or for improvements in existing house.

In addition, Karnataka was sanctioned 31,424 houses, Madhya Pradesh -27,475, Bihar-25,221, Jharkhand-20,099, Kerala-11,480 and Odisha-2,115 houses under PMAY(Urban).

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana(Urban) was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on June 25, 2015 with the objective of enabling all poor urban households own a pucca house with necessary basic amenities.

AAR/KM

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
26-April, 2017 16:06 IST
Over Rs.one lakh cr investment approved for housing of urban poor

Over one lakh more houses sanctioned; 57,131 for Madhya Pradesh, 24,576 for Tamil Nadu

Madhya Pradesh pips Tamil Nadu to lead in houses sanctioned under PMAY(Urban)

18.75 lakh houses sanctioned for urban poor in 2,151 cities and towns so far

Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation has sanctioned 1,00,537 more houses for urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) with an investment of Rs.4,200 cr taking the total investment so far approved to Rs.1,00,466 cr. This is 307% more than the investment approved of Rs.32,713 cr during 2004-14 for affordable housing in urban areas.

With the latest sanctions, the Ministry has so far approved construction of 18,75,389 houses for Economically Weaker Sections under PMAY(Urban) in 2,151 cities and towns in 34 States/UTs as against 13.80 lakh houses sanctioned during 2004-15 with an approved investment of Rs.32,009 cr.

The total investment approved so far includes central assistance of Rs.29,409 cr, assistance from State Governments and beneficiary contribution.

In the latest sanctions, Madhya Pradesh got 57,131 houses, Tamil Nadu-24,576, Manipur-6,231, Chattisgarh-4,898, Gujarat-4,261, Assam-2,389, Kerala-643, Jharkhand-331 and Daman & Diu-77.

With total houses sanctioned of 2,66,842, Madhya Pradesh has emerged the leader for the first time in approvals under PMAY(Urban) with a total investment of Rs.18,283 cr. Tamil Nadu is second with 2,52,532 houses with a total project cost of Rs.9,112 cr.

Of the total houses so far sanctioned, 10,65,058 were under the Beneficiary Led Construction component of PMAY(Urban) wherein beneficiaries undertake new construction or enhancement of existing houses for which central assistance of Rs.1.50 lakh each is provided. 5,87,115 have been sanctioned under Affordable Housing in Partnership under which state governments provide land/financial assistance for housing projects for which central assistance of Rs.1.50 lakh each is given per beneficiary.

Details of houses sanctioned and project investments approved in major States are:

State

No of affordable houses sanctionerd

Investment approved

(Rs. cr)

Madhya Pradesh

2,66,842

18,283

Tamil Nadu

2,52,532

9,112

Andhra Pradesh

1,95,047

10,697

Gujarat

1,48,948

9,772

Karnataka

1,46,548

6,288

West Bengal

1,44,369

5,870

Maharashtra

1,26,081

13,458

Bihar

88,293

3,909

Telangana

82,985

4,998

Jharkhand

64,898

2,423

Odisha

48,855

2,108

Tripura

45,908

1,264

Punjab

42,681

1,199

Rajasthan

37,856

2,646

Chattisgarh

34,973

2,962

Kerala

28,918

963

Assam

26,742

801

Uttar Pradesh

20,682

1,056

Manipur

15,979

414

Nagaland

13,560

335

Mizoram

10,459

219

Uttarakhand

7,904

510

Jammu & Kashmir

6,243

292

Himachal Pradesh

4,890

222

Haryana

4,299

338



Of the total houses sanctioned, construction has begun in respect of 6,89,829 and construction of 1,00,395 houses have been completed.

****

 

[Hindustani78]

Vice President's Secretariat
25-April, 2018 19:51 IST
Smart Cities Mission is the beginning of India’s urban renaissance: Vice President

Smart City is a liveable city to the people with required amenities; Releases the Book ‘Smart Cities Unbundled’

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that the Smart Cities Mission is the beginning of India’s urban renaissance. He was addressing the gathering after releasing the Book ‘Smart Cities Unbundled’ authored by Dr. Sameer Sharma, here today. The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs (I/C), Shri Hardeep Singh Puri and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

The Vice President said that a Smart City is a liveable city to the people with required amenities like clean drinking water, sanitation, toilets, infrastructure etc. He further said that it as a renaissance because there has been a paradigm shift in both the planning, approach and implementation of Smart City mission.

The Vice President said that while the government has a Constitutional mandate to devolve funds, functionaries and functions on local bodies, the progress has been slow. He further said that the urban agenda prepared by the present Government aims to address this gap by integrating several types of plans at the city level. People's participation in any programme is crucial for its success, he added.

The Vice President said that the Smart Cities Mission, which was described as ‘Mission Transform nation’ by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, seeks to transform cities into sustainable centres of economic activity and provide improved quality of life to citizens. He further said that another remarkable feature of the mission was to take up credit rating of cities. One more important strategic element of the Smart Cities Mission is the use of digital technology to bring about transparency and accountability, as well as improving the service delivery to its citizens, he added.

The Vice President said that a novel feature of Smart Cities Mission is Area Based Development - cities pick up one area, develop it fully and then proceed to develop all other areas of the city one by one. He further said that making the Urban Local Bodies financially self-sufficient is very important for sustainable development. This new initiative requires a new skill set, an ability to access and utilize the state of the art from around the world and an attitudinal shift where we forge new partnerships and collaborations rather than executing project only by the government, he added.

Following is the text of Vice President’s address:

“For me, Smart Cities Mission is the beginning of India’s urban renaissance. I am describing it as a renaissance because there has been a paradigm shift in both the planning, approach and implementation of this mission.

From this ‘top down’ planning approach to a ‘bottom-up’ planning approach, from merely waiting for funds to flow from the Union and State governments to creatively generating funds through bonds and value capture finance and public private partnership, it has been a paradigm shift.

While the government has a Constitutional mandate to devolve funds, functionaries and functions on local bodies, the progress has been slow. However, it is heartening that in a threefold increase over that of the 13th Finance Commission, the 14th Finance Commission awarded total grants of Rs.87,114 Crore to Urban Local Bodies.

Post independence, economic planning was done at the national level by the Planning Commission. Earlier, there was hardly any connection with spatial planning at the city and regional levels. The urban agenda prepared by the present Government aims to address this gap by integrating several types of plans at the city level.

The vehicle to do this is the Smart City Challenge – a competition in which more than 14 million people participated to discuss and decide on the future of cities. This was a unique concept as it enabled a participatory role to the people in deciding about the future of their cities.

I am happy to note that the City of Bhubaneswar which stood first in the competition has been given an international award by the American Planning Association. In the top 20 global Smart Cities ranked by the British market research agency Juniper Research, Bhubaneswar again finds a place.

The Smart Cities Mission, which was described as ‘Mission Transform nation’ by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, seeks to transform cities into sustainable centres of economic activity and provide improved quality of life to citizens. The Mission saw a complete shift in the urban development planning in the country as “bottom-up” approach was adopted as against Delhi-driven ‘top-down’ method which used to be followed till then.

Another remarkable feature of the mission was to take up credit rating of cities. The Government have started a campaign to do the credit rating of cities. This exercise to understand the financial health of our urban local bodies by credit rating has been completed in 348 cities. I am happy to note that 146 cities have “Investment Grade” with more than BBB(minus) grades and 30 cities with more than A(minus) grades.

One more important strategic element of the Smart Cities Mission is the use of digital technology to bring about transparency and accountability, as well as improving the service delivery to its citizens. In the Smart Cities Mission, cities are rolling out fast network of sensors and cameras to collect data, which is then analysed by using artificial intelligence to make predictions and decisions regarding collection of solid waste, traffic management, control of crime, etc.

In fact, cities are using digital technology to build a nervous system for our cities. This is an invisible and magical weapon which will make life more convenient for all the people. I am happy to note that Smart City Centres have already been completed in 8 cities; Ahmedabad, Kakinada, Visakhapatnam, Nagpur, Pune, Rajkot, Surat, and Vadodara. 15 more Smart City Centres are under construction and another 31 are in the tendering stage.

Another novel feature of Smart Cities Mission is Area Based Development - cities pick up one area, develop it fully and then proceed to develop all other areas of the city one by one. The reason is that,“Areas” in India are so different -- the local plan for development of Paharganj in Delhi will be very different from that of Greater Kailash. The selection of Areas and the components to be developed within the area are done by the citizens. Work has started in Udaipur and Ujjain on integrated Area Based Development.

Several cities have started to develop smart streets as part of Area Based Development. In smart streets, different activities on the streets are re-organised so that all get a place. In the completed streets of Pune and Surat, there is marked difference in the visual aesthetics and optimal utilisation of space.

Making the Urban Local Bodies financially self-sufficient is very important for sustainable development. I am happy to note that Pune and Ahmedabad have issued Municipal Bonds and the proposals of another eight cities are in an advanced stage to issue the bonds.

Another financial tool, having a large potential is Value Capture Finance (VCF). Government invests a lot of money in cities, which leads to increase in property values. Government policies also have a positive effect on house values. In Value Capture Finance, a small share of this increase in property value due to actions by Government is taken by the local bodies for constructing public projects. I am happy to note that 17 cities are in an advanced stage of formulating Value Capture Finance policies and creating bye-laws to implement them.

Smart cities have caught the imagination of the world. Countries are attempting to make a couple of cities smart or, perhaps, half-a-dozen. India has set itself a target of 99 Smart Cities which will act as Lighthouses for other cities to follow. The programme and its multiplying effects are much larger.

Clearly, this new initiative requires a new skill set, an ability to access and utilize the state of the art from around the world and an attitudinal shift where we forge new partnerships and collaborations rather than executing project only by the government.

The wave of urbanization is unstoppable.

All that we have to do is to use this as an opportunity to transform the way we manage this historical trend.

In many ways, we have lost a lot of time, probably, but it is never too late.

We have to give a new impetus to systematic urban planning, sustainable funding and swifter execution.

There is a need for upgrading the professional competence of civil servants to enable a more competent handling of urban management.

A more people-centric, transparent governance using technological tools as well as a humane, and objective, interface is the need of the hour.

The essence of ‘smartness’ is efficiency, effectiveness, excellence and empathy. It is governing our cities with people at the very centre of the whole system.

Dr. Sameer Sharma, who was the Mission Director for Smart Cities Mission, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Capacity Building programme from 2014 to 2017 is publishing the story of this journey. The book is aptly titled as Smart Cities Unbundled because we have to tell India and the world what an Indian Smart City is and what constitutes Smart Cities Mission of India.


Thank you, Jaihind!”

***

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
25-April, 2018 14:37 IST
HUDCO should accelerate pace of investment in Housing & Urban infrastructure with special emphasis on needs of aspirational districts: Puri

48TH Foundation Day of HUDCO celebrated

Shri Hardeep Puri, Minister of State (I/C) for Housing & Urban Affairs has urged HUDCO to expand its activities and cover a large number of stakeholders under its lending operations by taking up innovative projects to accelerate the pace of investment in housing & urban infrastructure realizing the much-desired PSU “PragatiSewaUrja” status, as envisioned by the Hon’ble Prime Minister.He also suggested that HUDCO may focus on the needs of aspirational districts thus helping in the balanced development across the country. He was addressing an event organized to celebrate the 48th Foundation Day of HUDCO here today. Shri Durga Shankar Mishra, Secretary, M/o Housing & Urban Affairs and Shri M.Ravi Kant, CMD, HUDCO besides senior officers from the Ministry/State Governments dealing with the urban development and housing were also present on the occasion.

Appreciating HUDCO team for their growth-oriented performance and the excellent MOU rating that HUDCO has been achieving for the last 7 years, the Housing and Urban Affairs Minister observed that HUDCO has been able to strengthen its growth trajectoryfrom a meager profit of 11 lakhs in 1970 to 1100 crore, which is indicative of its professional competence.

Recollecting what the Prime Minister had recently said while addressing the CPSEs conclave, the 3 keys of success are incentives, imagination and institution building, Shri Puri said that HUDCO has been following these 3-point mantra to sustain its momentum and success and expressed confidence in HUDCO for playing a more pro-active role in the housing & urban development sector, both as a lending NBFC and also as a knowledge partner, through its research & training efforts, in the times to come.

Appreciating HUDCO’s contribution in providing techno-financial support to projects in the urban infrastructure sector, Shri Puriexpressed satisfaction that these infrastructure projects comprising of water supply, sewerage, drainage, solid-waste management, urban transport and roads & bridges, have effectively improved the living conditions in the urban and rural areas. The fact that social infrastructure is also given a place alongside these services is a positive feature of HUDCO’s lending activities. HUDCO’s 48 years of experience & expertise in infrastructure sector is a strategic advantage for the development of SMART cities.

Sh. Purilater presented awards in various categories in the field of housing and infrastructure. These included the Best Practice Awards for improving the Living Environment, Design Awards, Outstanding Performance Award for borrowing agencies as well as the Regional Offices of HUDCO and long-service awards for its employees.

 

[Hindustani78]

The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs (I/C), Shri Hardeep Singh Puri lighting the lamp at the 48th Foundation Day of HUDCO, in New Delhi on April 25, 2018. The Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Durga Shanker Mishra and the CMD, HUDCO, Dr. M. Ravi Kanth are also seen.

The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs (I/C), Shri Hardeep Singh Puri releasing the publication at the 48th Foundation Day of HUDCO, in New Delhi on April 25, 2018. The Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Durga Shanker Mishra and the CMD, HUDCO, Dr. M. Ravi Kanth are also seen.

The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs (I/C), Shri Hardeep Singh Puri releasing the publication at the 48th Foundation Day of HUDCO, in New Delhi on April 25, 2018. The Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Durga Shanker Mishra and the CMD, HUDCO, Dr. M. Ravi Kanth are also seen.

The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs (I/C), Shri Hardeep Singh Puri releasing the publication at the 48th Foundation Day of HUDCO, in New Delhi on April 25, 2018. The Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Durga Shanker Mishra and the CMD, HUDCO, Dr. M. Ravi Kanth are also seen.

The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs (I/C), Shri Hardeep Singh Puri presenting the awards at the 48th Foundation Day of HUDCO, in New Delhi on April 25, 2018. The Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Durga Shanker Mishra and the CMD, HUDCO, Dr. M. Ravi Kanth are also seen.

The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs (I/C), Shri Hardeep Singh Puri presenting the awards at the 48th Foundation Day of HUDCO, in New Delhi on April 25, 2018. The Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Durga Shanker Mishra and the CMD, HUDCO, Dr. M. Ravi Kanth are also seen.

The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs (I/C), Shri Hardeep Singh Puri presenting the awards at the 48th Foundation Day of HUDCO, in New Delhi on April 25, 2018. The Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Durga Shanker Mishra and the CMD, HUDCO, Dr. M. Ravi Kanth are also seen.

The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs (I/C), Shri Hardeep Singh Puri addressing at the 48th Foundation Day of HUDCO, in New Delhi on April 25, 2018.

The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu at an event to release the Book ‘Smart Cities Unbundled’ authored by Dr. Sameer Sharma, in New Delhi on April 25, 2018. The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs (I/C), Shri Hardeep Singh Puri and the Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Durga Shanker are also seen.

The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu releasing the Book ‘Smart Cities Unbundled’ authored by Dr. Sameer Sharma, in New Delhi on April 25, 2018. The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs (I/C), Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, the Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Durga Shanker and other dignitaries are also seen.

The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu addressing the gathering after releasing the Book ‘Smart Cities Unbundled’ authored by Dr. Sameer Sharma, in New Delhi on April 25, 2018.

The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu addressing the gathering after releasing the Book ‘Smart Cities Unbundled’ authored by Dr. Sameer Sharma, in New Delhi on April 25, 2018. The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs (I/C), Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, the Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Durga Shanker and other dignitaries are also seen.

The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs (I/C), Shri Hardeep Singh Puri addressing release of the Book ‘Smart Cities Unbundled’ authored by Dr. Sameer Sharma, in New Delhi on April 25, 2018.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
26-April, 2018 13:41 IST
Behavioral Change in People and Private Sector Participation Important for Success of Swachh Bharat Mission : Puri

Shri Hardeep Puri, Minister of State (I/C) for Housing & Urban Affairs emphasised on the importance of behavioural change in people and participation of private sector as critical to the success of the ambitious Swachh Bharat Mission that the country has embarked upon. He was speaking at the India Sanitation Conclave 2018 organised by FICCI here today. He exhorted the private sector to play an active role at grassroots level in effecting behavioural change in people like maintaining and using toilets. He said that the Swachh Bharat Mission has shown unprecedented momentum after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clarion call for ‘Swachhta’ from the ramparts of Red Fort in 2014. He expressed happiness that the flagship scheme has become a mass revolution and has truly acquired the dimensions of a ‘Jan Andolan’.

Underlining the efforts of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs(MoHUA) in the domain of Urban Sanitation, he said as of April 2018, there are 2050 ODF Cities with 100% door to door waste collection being practiced in 51,734 wards and around 47 lakh units of individual household latrines and 3.19 lakh seats of community and public toilets built as of March, 2018. He said that to foster a healthy competition between cities for improving cleanliness standards, MoHUA has been conducting Swachh Survekshan surveys which has grown from survey of 73 cities in 2016 to 4023 cities /towns in the latest round of Swachh Survekshan conducted from 4 January to 10 March 2018.

Sh. Puri also mentioned the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out by the United Nations to be achieved by 2030, particularly the SDG 6 - Ensure access and sanitation for All. He said that achievement of the SDGs will be achieved mainly through the collective efforts of all which are effectively supplemented by the programs being implemented by the Government such as the Swachh Bharat Mission.

He congratulated the India Sanitation Coalition for bringing the private and public sector together and enabling cross learning and facilitating more effective actions for sustainable intervention in the WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) space. He also presented the ISC - FICCI Sanitation awards 2018 to individuals and institutions in various categories for their commendable work and efforts in the Sanitation sector.



******

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
07-May, 2018 10:43 IST
Sh. Hardeep Puri to inaugurate the‘First Apex Conference for the CEOs of Smart Cities’ in Bhopal

Shri Hardeep Puri, Minister of State (I/C) for Housing & Urban Affairswill inaugurate the ‘First Apex Conference for the CEOs of Smart Cities ‘in Bhopal tomorrow i.e 8th May 2018. Since its launch on 25 June 2015, the Smart Cities Mission (SCM), has been one of the most transformational urban missions. Key projects such as digitally integrated smart city centers, street re-design, installation of solar rooftop on buildings, etc., have thus initiated the process of urban transformation, enhancing the liveability of cities. Through their leadership role in driving the implementation of smart city projects, the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the Smart City Special Purpose Vehicle (SPVs) have been instrumental in achieving transformational outcomes envisaged under the Mission.

The two-day conference is being organised for providing a platform for cross learning and knowledge sharing among the Smart City CEOs on 8-9 May 2018. The conference will enable the CEOs to learn from the experiences of all city leaders to understand in greater details both successes and failures. The convergence of all the best practices in Smart city missions across the country on a single platform will help the city leaders to not waste time in 'reinventing the wheel' but use the collective learning to accelerate the progress of work.

The plenary sessions will feature panel discussions and presentations by Smart City CEOs highlighting their high impact projects under Mission, which can be disseminated as learning for other cities. Further, the way forward for the city level project implementation will be discussed. There will also be an exhibition showcasing the different projects being undertaken by Cities under Smart Cities Mission.The two-day Apex Conference also provides an opportunity for the participating Smart City CEOs to visit the locations and appreciate the smart city projects implemented by Bhopal Smart City Limited.

Apart from the Smart City CEOs, the participants include representatives from municipal, State and Central Governmentand variousother stakeholders in the Smart City Mission from the civil society, academia, industry etc. The list of invitees includes Principal Secretaries (UD)/State Mission Directors, Municipal Commissioners, Ambassadors of several countries, UN representatives, heads of multilateral/bilateral agencies, civil societies, and capacity building institutes. CEOs/heads of major Master System Indicator vendors are also invited.

The Apex Conference is being organized with an objective to provide momentumto the cities anda platform for cross-learning, sharing and disseminating the experience gained over the past two and a half years. The exhibition and presentations by the CEOs will provide useful insights for accelerating project implementation and enable cross learning among Smart Cities. Such knowledge sharing will help the cities to convert ideas into concrete actions as the outcome of the conference.

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Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
07-May, 2018 15:11 IST
‘1st Sensitization Meeting of Stakeholders to make Delhi a Model Accessible City’ Held

The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is having the commitment to uphold the rights of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and to ensure the accessible and inclusive assets are created in the country. Chairing the ‘1st Sensitization Meeting of Stakeholders to make Delhi a Model Accessible City’ here today, Smt. Shakuntala D. Gamlin, Secretary, DEPwD said that the Department has taken up the initiative to coordinate the meeting of all key stakeholders, sensitize them about the legal mandates and would hold supervisory role in this entire journey.

Secretary, DEPwD said that Delhi being the capital city of the country is proposed to be selected for this drive. The rationale for selecting Delhi is that it is assuming increasing eminence among the great cities of the world. Growing at an unprecedented pace, the city needs to be able to integrate its elegant past as well as the modern developments into an organic whole, which demands a purposeful transformation of the socio-economic, natural and built environment. Due to daily influx of visitors and representatives from different parts of the country, a capital city which is also a prime example of “Barrier free environment” and “Inclusivity”, would enhance visibility of the campaign and would also serve as a replicable model for others to follow.Apart from critical issues such as land, physical infrastructure, transport, ecology and environment, housing, socio-cultural and other institutional facilities, the cornerstone for making Delhi an Accessible city is the planning process itself and related aspects of governance and management. This needs a co-ordinated and integrated approach amongst several stakeholders and participatory planning involved with providing services such as Health, Education, Banking, Recreation, Sports etc.The process will commence with: Identification of important built-spaces, public transport infrastructure, services, recreational areas, tourism sites etc. in Delhi; Categorization of the infrastructure and spaces; and Selection of the key executing bodies.

It is a well-established fact that, disability is caused by the way society is organised, and not the person’s limitations and impairments. The physical, social, structural and attitudinal barriers prevent People with Disabilities (PwDs) from participating equally in the socio-cultural and economic activities. A barrier-free environment facilitates equal participation in all the activities and promotes an independent and dignified way of life. India ratified United Nations Conventions on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) 2007. This convention required that India make a number of changes to its laws, policies, regulations, notifications, programs, and schemes. As a part of the process of bringing the legal instruments of India into compliance with the UNCRPD, the process of enacting a new legislation in place of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 (PWD Act, 1995) began in 2010. Meanwhile, Accessible India Campaign (AIC) was launched on December 3, 2015 and subsequently the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 was enactedreplacing the PwD Act 1995. The AIC has the vision to build an inclusive society in which equal opportunities are provided for the growth and development of PwDs so that they can lead productive, safe and dignified lives. As a nation-wide flagship campaign for creating universal accessibility for PwDs in Built Environment, Transport system, and Information & Communication Technology (ICT) eco-system, objectives were set up to enhance the proportion of accessible government buildings, accessible public transport and accessible websites.

Further, RPwD Act 2016 mandates that all the Establishments/institutions should ensure barrier free spaces and services for rightful inclusion of PwDs in the society. The Act lays stress on non-discrimination, full and effective participation and inclusion in society, respect for difference and acceptance of disabilities as part of human diversity and humanity, equality of opportunity, accessibility and equality. Section 40- 46 of RPwD Act 2016, lays down clear mandates, timelines and punitive actions to foresee the vision of creation of accessible environment and services for all.

Key Stakeholders:

1. Delhi Government and related agencies

1. Department of Social Welfare, Delhi
2. Directorate of Health (Hospitals, Health Centres)
3. Directorate of Education (Schools)
4. Directorate of Higher Education (Higher education Instt.)
5. Art, Culture and Language Department (Theatres, drama schools etc.)
6. Delhi Transport Corporation (Bus fleets and Depots)
7. Municipal Corporation of Delhi
8. New Delhi Municipal Council
9. Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board
10. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation
11. PWD, Delhi
12. Home Department (Police Stations/ Judiciary)
13. Tourism Department
14. Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (Bus stops, Interstate terminals etc)
15. Urban Development Department
16. Delhi Police(police stations)

2. Central Government

1. Reserve Bank of India
2. Ministry of Finance (Banks/ATMs)
3. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
4. Ministry of Home Affairs (Police stations)
5. Ministry of Culture (ASI)
6. Ministry of Tourism
7. Ministry of Communications (India Post)
8. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
9. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
10. Ministry of Human Resource Development
11. Delhi Cantonment
12. Delhi Development Authority

3. Others

a. Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, New Delhi

b. State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Delhi

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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
08-May, 2018 16:00 IST
Sh. Hardeep Puri urges Smart City CEOs to learn from Experience & best practices of other city leaders to accelerate the progress of Smart City Missions across the country

First Apex Conference for the CEOs of Smart Cities inaugurated in Bhopal 9 Advisory Committees to be setup to increase stakeholder participation

Sh. Hardeep Puri , MoS(I/C) Housing and Urban Affairs, urged the Smart City CEOs to learn from experience & practices of other city leaders to accelerate the progress of smart city missions across the country. He was speaking while inaugurating the two day 'First Apex Conference for CEOs of Smart Cities' alongwith Shivraj Singh Chouhan , Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh in Bhopal today. Terming the the flagship missions of the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry as an comprehensive and systematic effort of planned urbanisation undertaken under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sh. Puri said that the Ministry is well on it's way to achieve the targets before stipulated time. Mayor of Bhopal city and senior officers from state and central govt were also present at the event.

Addressing the event, Sh. Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the nation is undergoing a positive transformation under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and Madhya Pradesh has embarked on an accelerated growth path in all sectors. Appreciating the work done by the state UD ministry in enabling a transformative change in the cities of MP from Swachhta to Smart city missions, he assured that in next two months Integrated Command and Control Centres in all the 7 smart cities in Madhya Pradesh would be established.The Integrated Control and Commmand Center of Bhopal Smart City in Govindpura was also inaugurated today making it the 9th Smart city centre to be operational in the country.

Speaking on the momentum of Smart City Mission(SCM), Sh Puri said that the SCM is setting a new benchmark in terms of project implementation. The value of projects under implementation in August 2017 was about Rs. 8,000 crore which after eight months has increased to more than Rs. 30,000 crore involving 936 projects. Further, about 400 projects costing Rs. 20,000 crore are in tender stage, which would be settled over a next 2-3 months. He said that 98 projects costing Rs. 6000 crore are under implementation with Public Private Partnership which are getting good responses not only in the big cities but even in the smaller towns.He said in the last eight months 26 more SPVs were established, taking the total SPVs to 91 and total number of PMCs to 67. Regarding the Smart City centres he informed that while 9 have become operational including in Bhopal, work is in progress to develop Smart City Centers in another 14 cities and tenders have been issued in 32 more cities.

Sh. Puri said that Jan Andolan and Jan Bhagidari should be an essential ingredient of all Government programmes and Missions and there is a need to involve stakeholders having expertise in a variety of fields to contribute to the larger domain of Smart cities. He announced the setting up of Advisory Committees on 9 themes, viz. Entrepreneurship and Start-ups; Women Empowerment, Safety, and Security; Smart Education and Skill Development; Divyang Friendly Measures and Policy Recommendations; Septage and Sewage Management; Promotion of Public Art; Urban Mobility and Climate Change; Arts and Culture; and Smart Security with an aim to bring on board expertise from outside the practitioner’s domain, and adopt a holistic approach to urbanization. He further urged city administrators to keep the younger generation involved in creative and innovative ways in these Smart city projects in form of internship for final year and Post graduate students in the engineering, Planning and Architecture disciplines.

An exhibition showcasing the different projects being undertaken by Cities under Smart Cities Mission was also inaugurated. The conference will have panel discussions under Smart Cities Mission across key thematic areas viz., (i) Development of Walkable Streets, (ii) Creation of Universally Accessible Public Spaces, (iii) Digitally Integrated Smart City Centers, (iv) Creating Vibrant Urban Spaces such as Squares, Plazas and Waterfront Developments under Area Based Development, (v) Addressing Women Safety in Smart Cities, (vi) Promotion of Arts Crafts and Culture in Smart Cities, (vii) Smart Education and Skill Development, (viii) Inclusive Cities and (ix) Bonds and PPPs for financing urban infrastructure. As part of these panel discussions, Smart City CEOs implementing projects under above thematic areas will share their experiences through presentations and short videos.

The two day Apex Conference is being organized with an objective to provide momentum to the cities and also a platform for cross-learning, sharing and disseminating the experience gained over the past two and a half years. The exhibition and presentations by the CEOs will provide useful insights for accelerating project implementation and enable cross learning among Smart Cities. Such knowledge sharing will help the cities to convert ideas into concrete actions as the outcome of the conference. Apart from the Smart City CEOs, the participants include representatives from municipal, State and Central Governmentand variousother stakeholders in the Smart City Mission from the civil society, academia, industry etc. The list of invitees includes Principal Secretaries (UD)/State Mission Directors, Municipal Commissioners, Ambassadors of several countries, UN representatives, heads of multilateral/bilateral agencies, civil societies, and capacity building institutes. CEOs/heads of major Master System Indicator vendors are also invited.



RJ/SB

 

[Hindustani78]

The Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan at the IX CGD (City Gas Distribution) bidding round-1st Road Show , in New Delhi on May 08, 2018. The CEO, NITI Aayog, Shri Amitabh Kant and other dignitaries are also seen.

The Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan addressing at the IX CGD (City Gas Distribution) bidding round-1st Road Show , in New Delhi on May 08, 2018.

The Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan addressing at the IX CGD (City Gas Distribution) bidding round-1st Road Show , in New Delhi on May 08, 2018. The Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri K.D. Tripathi and other dignitaries are also seen.

The CEO, NITI Aayog, Shri Amitabh Kant addressing at the IX CGD (City Gas Distribution) bidding round-1st Road Show , in New Delhi on May 08, 2018.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
15-May, 2018 15:47 IST
First Apex Conference for Smart City CEOs gives fillip to the pace of Progess of Smart City Mission projects

AFD launches Programme to fund Smart City projects: 100 million Euro made available to Finance 30 – 80 selected Projects

The first apex conference for Smart City CEOs, held in Bhopal last week from 8-9th May 2018 emphasized on cross learning amongst the Smart City CEOs to accelerate the progress of the Smart City Mission projects. The two-day conference provided a unique platform for the city leaders and various stakeholders in the Smart Cities Mission for convergence of ideas and sharing of best practices which will enable other’s to fast track their Smart city projects.

During the Conference, Agence Française de Développement (AFD) launched their Programme to fund Smart City projects through a challenge process. They have made available Euro 100 million to finance 30- 80 selected projects, and Euro 6 million will be available for technical support. The objective is to promote sustainability, innovation and participatory approaches in the Smart Cities.

Seven Smart Cities showcased their projects in an exhibition organized at the conference. Detailed panel discussions across the following nine themes took place during the First Apex Conference of Smart City CEOs:

1. 1. Development of walkable streets
   2. Creation of universally accessible public spaces
   3. Digitally Integrated Smart City Centers
   4. Creating Vibrant Urban Spaces (Waterfronts, Squares and Plazas)
   5. Addressing women safety in Smart Cities
   6. Promotion of Arts, Crafts and Culture in Smart Cities
   7. Smart Education and Skill Development
   8. Inclusive cities
   9. PPP and Bonds for Urban Infrastructure

The CEO’s Conference also focused on implementation of the following –


Smart City Centres: To be conceptualized with usefulness in mind: for citizens, businesses, decision makers and stakeholders. Uses could include information capturing and its analysis, monitoring and decision-making while making no compromise on integration aspect

Area Based Development (ABD): To integrate as many elements as possible including smart streets, impactful (experiential) projects.

Human Resources: The PMC professionals to regularly upgrade skills.

Way forward: For speedy implementation focus to be on tendering activity and planning and preparation of charts of milestones and timelines to avoid time overruns. To ensure completion of liveability survey and using the resulting data for evidence based planning and thereafter work on financial aspects.

During the event, the Bhopal Smart City also launched a cloud-based Common Integrated Data Centre, Disaster Recovery Centre and Integrated Control and Command Centre (ICCC). This will help to monitor and administer several utilities and citizen services across seven cities in the state: Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Indore, Ujjain, Satna, and Sagar. An incubation centre, to promote entrepreneurial spirit amongst youth, researchers, engineers and society at large, was also launched.