By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, MAR 01, 2024: CALLING urbanisation as one of the defining trends of the 21st century, Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum & Natural Gas, said that the two-thirds of the world's population will live in cities by 2050. "Cities are going to be central in achieving various global goals, particularly those related to sustainability and climate resilience", he said. Speaking at launch of Urban Studies and Research Centre at Miranda House today, he said that more than 50% of India's population, or 877 million people, will live in our cities and towns by 2050, according to the UN. By that time, he said, Indian cities will contribute to more than 75% of our GDP and also about 60% of our GHG emissions.

During the event, the Minister elaborated on the India's journey of urban development. He talked about how the country has turned from reluctant urbaniser to a rapid urbaniser. Government's comprehensive array of initiatives for urban rejuvenation have been instrumental in shaping a new urban narrative for the nation, he said.

Puri said that the government has treated urban development as an opportunity rather than a challenge. "There was neglect in urban development before 2014. Only Rs. 1.78 lakh crores were invested in urban areas between 2004 to 2014. But since 2014, more than Rs. 18 lakh crores have been invested in the transformation of our cities and towns.", he said.

The Minister delved into various schemes undertaken by Government that are transforming the urban development scenario in the country. He noted the role of schemes such as PMAY (Urban), Swachh Bharat Mission - Urban, AMRUT, Smart Cities Mission and PM SVANidhi mission in urban development in recent years.

Highlighting the increasing focus of Government on decentralisation, devolution and empowerment, Puri said that the government has prioritised the empowerment of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in recent years. He said that for the first time since the 74th Amendment Act was passed in 1992-1993, our ULBs have been with financial resources and access to build capacity, execute large-scale missions, and take risks. While the 13th Finance Commission granted Rs. 23,111 crores to ULBs between the period 2010-11 to 2014-2015; under the 15th Finance Commission, there has been a six-fold increase to Rs. 1,55,628 crores between 2021-22 to 2025-2026, he said.

In context of the new challenges faced by urban areas from climate change to urban resilience to efficient land utilisation to accessing urban finance, the Minister said that 21 st century problems require 21st -century solutions. He said that the government is fostering a culture of innovation in urban development. Cities are being reimagined as living labs by harnessing the power of data and technology, he added.

Puri said that the newly launched Urban Studies and Research Centre at Miranda House has the potential to start a fresh discourse on the kind of transformational change that our cities need. He wished the centre to be a leading voice for the interdisciplinary subject of urban economics. To design efficient cities, it is essential to understand a city's economic base and its constraints, as well as its competitive advantage, he said.