New Delhi: Development of 100 smart cities and housing for all by 2022 were the mantra of Ministry of Urban Development and Housing and Poverty Alleviation in 2014. With the NDA government replacing the UPA in May, BJP veteran M Venkaiah Naidu assumed charge of the twin ministries giving a push to cleanliness and punctuality at office.
The year also witnessed launch of Swachh Bharat Mission and urban renewal of 500 cities for providing better amenities in urban areas. National Urban Renewal Mission for 500 cities replaced UPA government's flagship programme Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), a massive city-based modernisation scheme launched in 2005 for seven years and then extended for two years.
Referring to cities as the “engine of growth”, UD Ministry aims to draw out growth path to ensure that they function efficiently because an effective engine is critical to economic development.
Speeding up urbanisation with the help of latest technology offers employment opportunities and also improves quality of life, Naidu has maintained.
