Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that the urban population in Uttar Pradesh will rise to 40 per cent in the next five years from the current 30 per cent.

He added that while in 2017, a total 24 per cent of the population lived in urban areas, the percentage of people living in towns and cities has gone up to 30 per cent today.

“This is the ‘new Uttar Pradesh’ of the ‘new India’, which not only carries out development works, but also preserves its heritage. It ensures the livelihoods of the youth and respects the faith of people. It creates a better environment for security in the state and is committed to advancing the state towards prosperity through new measures”, he stated at a programme here on Tuesday late evening.

“When every citizen of the state participates in this progress, it reflects the commitment to PM Modi’s vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’. Every Indian should be committed to making our country a developed India. People used to say that only humans are becoming smarter, but the Prime Minister has also made the cities ‘smart’,” the Chief Minister added.

The CM inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 3,419 development projects worth Rs 11,000 crore of the Urban Development Department at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan. After visiting the exhibition stall here, the CM also released the guidelines of the Urban Development Department.

He also honoured the beneficiaries of various schemes and mentioned that it was the first time such a large-scale inauguration and foundation laying ceremony for projects by the Urban Development Department was taking place. He said that projects worth three times the budget of the Urban Development Department seven years ago are being inaugurated today in one go.

The Chief Minister informed that 112 new municipal bodies have been formed, including three new municipal corporations. Municipal Council and New Urban Panchayats have also been established, and their geographical areas expanded. Numerous schemes, including Smart City and AMRUT Mission, have been implemented, which were playing a significant role in achieving the goals of ease of living, he added.

“With the support of the Indian government, Uttar Pradesh is progressing towards becoming a state of smart cities. Under the Smart City Mission, a total of 17 municipal corporations, including ten with Central government’s support and seven under State Smart City Mission, are being developed as smart cities. Uttar Pradesh is the first state in the country which is connecting all the municipal corporations with the Smart City Mission,” Adityanath said.

The Chief Minister emphasised the importance of forming cleanliness committees in each ward to ensure cleanliness without incurring any additional cost through the elected chairperson-councilor. He called for participating in efforts for door-to-door waste collection and contributing to initiatives for solid waste management.

The Chief Minister lamented poor electricity supply before 2017. He added: “To address this, we installed 16 lakh LED street lights for free across the state. Now, all municipal areas are illuminated with bright LED lights. As a result of LED street lights, carbon emissions and electricity consumption have been reduced. Contributing to achieving the minimum carbon emission goals aligned with the Smart City mission and the Prime Minister’s vision, the municipalities are actively supporting this initiative,” the CM said.

He further said although cleanliness has improved, there is a need to enhance good work even further. He emphasised the importance of planning for the next five years, ensuring no waterlogging in cities, having well-maintained roads, and making urban bodies self-reliant. He suggested increasing the income of urban bodies for this purpose.

“Over the past seven years, both the central and state governments have achieved significant targets. Under urban development, an amount of more than Rs 3500 crore has been distributed to 15 lakh poor people in the state so far and 56 lakh poor people have been provided with PM Awaas. Three crore people have access to toilets, 15 crore people are benefiting from free ration, 19 lakh street vendors are availing the PM SVANidhi scheme, and citizens in 762 urban bodies are benefiting from government schemes without discrimination,” the Chief Minister added.

The Chief Minister mentioned that Uttar Pradesh is the first state in the country to have received numerous awards in different categories. It is also the first state where metro services have been initiated in six cities. Varanasi is introducing the facility of ropeways, and there is a desire to start ropeway services in Shahjahanpur as well. There is considerable demand for electric bus services, and urban development has rapidly expanded this initiative.

Along with Chief Minister Nagar Srijan Yojana, Vandan Yojana, Chief Minister Green Road Infrastructure Development Scheme, work has also been done to encourage women volunteer groups under Deendayal Upadhyay National Urban Livelihood Scheme, he added.

“In the Pran-Pratishtha programme in Ayodhya, everyone has acknowledged the city’s development works. With the upcoming Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj next year and the Mahakumbh in 2025, the Urban Development Department has already commenced its work. The department also played an important role in the successful organisation of G-20 under India’s chairmanship,” Yogi added.

He said that Urban development was presenting a distinct image in the state with new innovations, and it can be a model for the country. He emphasised that the project worth Rs 11,000 crore is a significant step in the direction of Prime Minister’s vision of a developed India. Every municipal body should strive for self-reliance and achieve the goals of ease of living for developed Uttar Pradesh and developed India.

He expressed the need for another term for the Modi government in 2024 to achieve the goals of a developed India.