Union Minister Manohar Lal chairs consultative committee meeting, announces two-department structure for MoHUA

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, D. Thara, made a detailed presentation on the Ministry's 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 departments, the Department of Capital Development (DCD) (Rajdhani Vikas Vibhag) and the Department of Urban Development (DUD) (Shahari Vikas Vibhag).

Minister 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 Ministry's 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 India's 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 India's cities. He assured the Members that their valuable suggestions would be duly considered in strengthening the Ministry's policies and programmes.

Reaffirming Prime PM Narendra Modi's vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, Tokhan Sahu stated that the Ministry is working closely to promote planned, sustainable and future-ready urban development across the country.

Members of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee shared their views and suggestions on various aspects of urban planning and governance. The Union Minister welcomed their inputs and assured that appropriate follow-up action would be taken to further strengthen the Ministry's initiatives in the urban sector. (ANI)