New Delhi: Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, the Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum & Natural Gas, declared 2023 as an exceptional year for urban governance in India during a press conference today. Addressing the media, the minister outlined the transformative interventions initiated by the government since 2014, emphasizing urban infrastructure development and robust governance with a focus on pro-poor welfare.
Highlighting the broad societal impact of interventions, Shri Puri noted the substantial benefits reaped by various sections of society throughout the year. These include street vendors, informal urban workers, women, the girl child, and low to middle-income families seeking essential services like housing, tap water connections, and sanitation.
Providing insights into the scale of urban transformation, the minister revealed that an impressive Rs. 18.07 lakh crores have been invested in urban development since 2014. This represents a remarkable 12-fold increase in investments compared to the period between 2004-14.
Referring to the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U), Shri Puri highlighted the approval of 1.18 crore houses under the scheme, a significant ninefold increase from the earlier 13.46 lakh houses sanctioned under JnNURM and RAY.
Discussing milestones achieved in 2023, Shri Puri mentioned the extension of National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD) Laws (Special Provisions) Second Act, 2011, until December 31, 2026. This extension exempts certain JJ clusters from punitive action, providing adequate time for reforms and inclusive measures.
Under the PM SVANidhi scheme, the minister celebrated the achievement of crossing the milestone and mission target of 50 lakh beneficiaries, with the current number standing at 58.89 lakh beneficiaries. Additionally, more than Rs. 10,000 crores have been disbursed under the scheme.
For PMAY-U, Shri Puri highlighted the completion of nearly 12 lakh houses in 2023, averaging a delivery of 1 lakh houses each month. Under Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban 2.0, significant strides were made in waste management, remediating 879 lakh metric tonnes of waste, clearing 336 dumpsites, and reclaiming 3,708 acres of land. Over 68 CBG plants were approved for effective resource recovery from organic waste under the GOBARdhan scheme.
In the AMRUT mission, the minister stated that the targets for water tap connections and sewer connections were exceeded, with 1.87 crore water tap connections and 1.47 sewer connections achieved.
Shri Puri also acknowledged the achievements in improving urban mobility, citing the landmark of crossing 1 crore daily ridership for Metro systems across the country. The Delhi Metro witnessed a daily ridership of over 72 lakh passengers in August 2023. Additionally, he mentioned the Namo Bharat train, India’s first rapid rail service inaugurated by PM Shri Narendra Modi, and the PM–eBus Sewa scheme, launched with the aim of deploying 10,000 electric buses to augment bus operations.