Kolkata, Feb 14 (IANS) The centre will increase fund allocation for states to promote the Clean India campaign and will rate city municipalities in the process, union Minister of Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs M. Venkaiah Naidu said here Saturday.
"The government is committed to implement a gradation of all the municipalities of the country in a bid to motivate them towards achieving the goal of development," he said in a statement.
He pointed out that 80 percent of the municipality fund is spent on salaries which needs to be streamlined to put development atop the agenda for the civic bodies.
Swachh Bharat, India's largest ever cleanliness drive, was initiated by the central government Oct 2 last year across 4,041 towns and semi-urban areas in India.
Terming the execution of the ambitious 100 Smart Cities project as a challenge, Naidu said it will help "usher (the nation) in a new age of development as development is the agenda of the government now".
Referring to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the minister said the goal of his ministry is to "make urban life more comfortable" and there will be a major thrust on reforms to improve the process of urban governance.
"50 percent of the total population of our country lives in urban areas now and the rate will go up to 84 percent by 2050. So, we need to gear up urban infrastructure including housing."
The former BJP national president said there was a need for taking up the agenda of housing for the economically weaker sections of society.
The Nellore-born minister said political parties need to put their ideological differences aside and aim for the development of the nation.
"There may be difference of ideals among political parties but the centre and state should always work together for achieving the goal of development," he said.
After the flood waters receded in Pakistan, now infectious diseases are spreading rapidly. Nine p
Shahid Kapoor played cricket at Lord's Cricket Ground in London. During this, his wife Mira Kapoo
On Monday, the Indian rupee fell by 1 paise to its lowest level ever at 78.34 (Provisional) again
A Russian court has sentenced American basketball player Brittany Griner to nine years in prison
Famous writer and social worker Sudha Murthy recently won everyone's hearts with her modesty and
The way the Ukraine war has brought forth the problem of an energy crisis in the whole world, the
The repo rate will remain at 6.5 percent, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das announced after the MPC me
Cattle smugglers held in Gurgaon
Gurgaon, Feb 15 (IANS) Four cattle smugglers were Sunday arrested near the Kherki Daula toll pl
In many places in the country, people are avoiding taking the corona vaccine. A similar case has
Armed forces get exemption on LAC
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday asked the country's top military leadership to be 'fully
