NEW DELHI: Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing and Urban, while addressing a press conference on Monday, September 13, commented on the increased expenditure on urban development over the past six years in Indian cities. The Minister informed how the expenditure was Rs 11.83 lakh core between 2015-2021, against the Rs 1.57 lakh crore which was spent between 2004 to 2014.
For actualizing the Atmanirbhar India mission, the Minister said that the cities would have to increase their productivity. While talking about the urban housing situation of India, Puri mentioned the unprecedented success the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana has had.
He informed that nearly 1.13 crore houses have been sanctioned and over 50 lakh housing units have already been occupied. Puri added that the majority of the houses constructed utilize sustainable and energy-efficient methods with advanced practices of land-use planning. He also said that the Indian government’s focus is on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through various missions introduced recently.