Smart Cities are the flavor of “Housing for All” in 2015 for urban sector
smart city
A turn on mega projects worth Rs. 4 lakh crore are for developing smart cities and towns to provide “Housing for All” for next seven years besides all the proposed amendments in real estate rules which was marked for the year 2015 in the urban development sector.
The central government has also approved many amendments in the Real Estate Bill, 2015 (Regulation and Development); with various provisions for depositing 70 percent of the real estate projects cost by the real estate builders into escrow account and fine or punishment for violations of the proposed real estate laws. However; the main aim of amendments is to protect the interest of the buyers and encourage the investors and buyers to show more interest in the real estate market by ensuring transparency. Apart from that the other major reform was to introduce the allocation of central assistance to the Union Territories and States based on the number of statutory urban local bodies and the total urban population besides slum dwellers and number of urban poor in each state.
However; the allotment of the bungalow of late President A P J Abdul Kalam, which is located at 10 Rajaji Marg to Mahesh Sharma, Tourism and Culture Minister was also created a lot of controversy through the efforts of Aam Aadmi Party as AAP was criticizing the move. Apart from that Aam Aadmi Party also demanded that the bungalow of late President A P J Abdul Kalam after his term as President which was ended in 2007 should be converted into a knowledge centre. But M Venkaiah Naidu, Urban Development and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister defended the move and allotment of the bungalow by saying that allocation was made as per previous rules and regulations and the the central government had already decided to set up a memorial in memory of late President A P J Abdul Kalam at his native place of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu.
Ambitious Housing Schemes of Modi Government:
PM Modi, launched his most ambitious schemes such as; AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation), PMAY (Prime Minister’s Awas Yojana) and Smart City Mission on the June 2015 with a call to promote the planning and development in the country to set of new beginning in urban regions, which could be the key drivers in the economic growth of country. According to reports, 100 smart cities will come in existence in next five years, more than 500 cities will be developed under AMRUT scheme and PMAY scheme will aims to construct two crore houses in urban areas in the duration of next seven years under “Housing for All” scheme. While summing up new initiatives, Naidu told PTI; “Year 2015 is very significant the sense as we have set up urban planning in the country under many new different schemes. However; considering the provisions under AMRUT, Housing Mission and Smart City Mission there are new conscience on the part of urban local bodies which could be for effective for planning and execution”.
The introduction of competition for selection of Smart Cities Mission is first of its kind in the allocation of resources and funds. Apart from that government is also taking the consultation for prioritization and planning of the projects from normal citizens at city level and it is mandatory under the new urban initiative which is launched in 2015.
