On June 25, 2020, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) organized an online event to mark the 5th Anniversary of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana(Urban) (PMAY-U), Smart Cities Mission (SCM) and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). The event addressed by Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs(I/C) organized to celebrate the achievements and boost implementation of the urban missions.
Following is brief info about the schemes and so far benefits:
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)
Launched on June 5, 2015, AMRUT aims at ensuring universal coverage of drinking water supply and substantial improvement in coverage and treatment capacities of sewerage across 500 cities, covering more than 60% of urban population. The Mission helped cities to undertake a set of 11 reforms comprising 54 milestones aimed at strengthening capacities of city level institutions for effective governance.
- So far, State Annual Action Plans (SAAPs) worth Rs 77,640 crore approved and projects worth Rs 75,829 crore grounded. Projects worth Rs 10,654 crores completed and Rs 65,175 crore in advanced stages of implementation.
- Rs 39,011 crore allocated for drinking water supply projects, and Rs 32,546 crore for sewerage and septage projects.
- Online Building Permission System (OBPS) is implemented to reduce the overall time taken for approvals of building plans.
- India’s ranking rose to 27th position in the World Bank Doing Business Report (DBR) 2020, in the Ease of Doing Business in Construction Permits, moving up from 181 rank in DBR 2018, showing remarkable improvement since the implementation of the reform.
Smart Cities Mission (SCM)
Launched on June 25, 2015, its objective is to promote cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens. As on date, the value of tendered smart city projects is over Rs1,66,000 crores, the value of work orders issued is about Rs 1,25,000 crores and the value of all completed projects is more than Rs 27,000 crores. ClimateSmart Cities and DataSmart Cities are two important programs under the Smart Cities Mission.
- The Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCC) developed under the Smart Cities Mission have helped cities in their fight against COVID.
- The Urban Learning Internship Program (TULIP)’ is designed for all urban local bodies (ULBs) and Smart City Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to engage fresh graduates as interns.
- Top 20 cities have been paired as ‘Sister cities’ with 20 cities who were behind in ranking.
- Joint efforts of SCM with AGNIi (Accelerating Growth of New India’s Innovations) and Invest India are fostering growth of a start-up culture in Smart Cities.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U)
Launched on June 25, 2015, the objective of PMAY-U is to provide pucca house to all eligible beneficiaries of Urban India by 2022 with the vision of ‘Housing for All’. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has received a validated demand of about 1.12 Cr houses under PMAY (U). Approvals for 1.05 Cr houses have already been sanctioned, of which 65 lakhs are grounded and 35 lakhs have been built and delivered to beneficiaries across the country.
- Houses sanctioned under PMAY(urban) almost eight times more than those sanctioned under earlier urban housing schemes. More than 10 lakh beneficiaries belonging to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), Lower Income Group (LIG) and MIG have so far been brought under the fold of CLSS.
- To ensure regular flow of funds for implementation of PMAY(U), National Urban Housing Fund has been created to mobilize Rs 60,000 Cr through Extra Budgetary Resources over and above the budgetary allocation for the Mission.
- Through the Credit Link Subsidy Scheme (CLSS),for the first time, the Middle Income Group (MIG) is being provided benefits for their housing needs.
- In line with ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat’, an Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs) scheme for providing ease of living to Urban Migrants/ Poor has been announced. The beneficiaries for the ARHCs scheme would be the urban migrants/poor from Economically Weaker Section (EWS)/ Low Income Group (LIG) categories.
