Smart cities, AMRUT to be launched next month: Venkaiah Naidu

Hyderabad, May 29, 2015: Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Friday announced that the central government will launch three major schemes next month. He told reporters that the Smart Cities Mission, the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and housing for all will be launched in June. He said Smart Cities and AMRUT will change the face of urban India while the third scheme will ensure housing for all by 2020. Naidu said the Centre has already completed the consultation process with all stake holders including the states and municipal commissioners and finalised the modalities. "Consultation has also been completed with foreign experts, partner countries, prominent companies, Indian and foreign investors," he said. The union cabinet and finance ministry have also approved the three key schemes. Naidu said the government was working to make urban India pro-poor by providing them all amenities, employment and education. Listing the achievements of the NDA government, he said it launched several programmes like the Jan Dhan Yojna and social security schemes for the poor and the unorganised sector. He claimed that the major achievement of the Narendra Modi government is that it made India a destination for investment. "A year ago there was despair, despondency and disappointment in the entire country. The entire world was also looking down on India. There was no leadership, no decision making. There was policy paralysis, fiscal deficit, revenue deficit, trade deficit, current account deficit and above all trust deficit. Prices were running high, inflation was high, GDP rate was coming down and various parameters of India were downgraded.