Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Power, Manohar Lal, chaired the Parliamentary Consultative Committee Meeting of the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) recently on the theme of Urban Planning.
The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs, Tokhan Sahu, Members of Parliament from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, Secretary, Department of Capital Development (DCD), D. Thara, Secretary, Department of Urban Development (DUD), Satendra Singh, senior officials of the Ministry, and other concerned officers.
Secretary, Department of Capital Development, Thara, made a detailed presentation on the Ministryโs urban planning initiatives and the roadmap for sustainable urban development.
During the meeting, the Union Minister informed the Members that the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs will now function through two separate departmentsโthe Department of Capital Development (DCD) (Rajdhani Vikas Vibhag) and the Department of Urban Development (DUD) (Shahari Vikas Vibhag). He stated that the restructuring has been undertaken to strengthen institutional capacity, improve administrative efficiency and enhance urban governance, enabling greater focus on the diverse and evolving needs of urban India.
Addressing the Members, Manohar Lal highlighted that the Ministryโs initiatives in urban planning are guided by the objective of creating liveable, resilient and citizen-centric cities. He emphasised that effective urban planning, robust urban governance, water security and continuous capacity building are essential for meeting the aspirations of Indiaโs rapidly urbanising population and ensuring balanced urban growth.
The Union Minister further underlined that the Ministry is adopting a holistic approach towards urban development by integrating planning, infrastructure, governance and service delivery. He noted that these efforts are aimed at improving the quality of life of citizens while building cities that are environmentally sustainable, economically vibrant and technologically enabled.
Inviting suggestions from the Members of Parliament, Manohar Lal reiterated the importance of collaborative policymaking and constructive dialogue in shaping the future of Indiaโs cities. He assured the Members that their valuable suggestions would be duly considered in strengthening the Ministryโs policies and programmes.
