Union Minister reviews urban development with Northeast ministers

Guwahati: Union Energy Minister Manohar Lal, who was on his first visit to the North East since taking over as Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, held an important meeting with urban development ministers of the Northeast in Guwahati earlier this week, officials said.

The meeting reviewed the progress of implementation of various schemes under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in the Northeastern States and discussed several important initiatives and programs aimed at accelerating the overall development of cities in the region and sustainable development of urban infrastructure.

Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singhal stated that by 2047, almost half of India's population is expected to live in urban areas, and Assam and the rest of the Northeast is expected to "urbanize rapidly". He noted that urbanization in Assam has created both opportunities and challenges for the government.

The Department of Housing and Urban Affairs of Assam has undertaken reform programs to lay a solid foundation for sustainable urbanization and enhanced civic amenities to manage this growth effectively and sustainably.

The state has received special central funds of Rs 930 crore through improvements in the tax collection system of municipal bodies, development of Assam Urban Infrastructure, and establishment of Finance Corporation Limited. The state government is working diligently to improve the quality of life of the citizens of urban areas through various initiatives under schemes like Guwahati Smart City Limited, Amrut Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission, Jal Board, and Pradhan Mantri Swa-Nidhi.

Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal said his ministry is committed to ensuring a bright and sustainable future for the people of the North East while transforming India's urban infrastructure.
Fielding a question from Business North East about the possibility of upgrading infrastructure in all states to be on par with Assam, the Minister replied that", given the connectivity issue there are number of hindrances to it. But, government of Indian has same scheme for all the states.

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