‘Jan Bhagidari’ essential for a city’s development: Modi

VARANASI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 17 chaired the inauguration ceremony of All India Mayors’ Conference via video conferencing. The conference is happening in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Hardeep Singh Puri , Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs , Government of India and Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh also attended the ceremony. Referring to the conference theme ‘New Urban India’, he said that the nation should develop its cities a vibrant economy. He urged the mayors to make their cities clean, vibrant, and beautiful.

Modi asked the mayors to localize the work of making a city clean by organising competitions between the wards. He said that the development of the city of Kashi will be a roadmap for the development of other cities in the nation.

The Prime Minister insisted on the rejuvenation and preservation of the cities and not destroy its antiquity in the era of modernization. He asked the mayors to find out the birthdate of their cities and celebrate its anniversary to celebrate the place, its people, and its uniqueness.

Stressing on the importance of citizen participation, Modi said that ‘Jan Bhagidari’ can take the nation forward towards newer heights. He further talked about empowering Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises while working out the development model of cities. He also asked the mayors to focus on waste management revenue model. He said that converting waste to wealth can immensely benefit cities. He said that it will not only lead to ‘Swachh Bharat’ but also a ‘Swasth Bharat’.

Modi called upon the mayors to make their cities better and future-ready. He also talked about the need to ensure that the vision of New Urban India is inclusive of ‘Divyangjans’. Cities’ infrastructure should support designs that are Divyang-friendly. He said that the COVID-19 has shown how street vendors are integral part of urban spaces. He added that they cannot be left behind in the development of a city. He mentioned that not only is the PM SVANidhi Yojana empowering street vendors with microfinance, but it is also concentrating on making them fully digitally reliant and empowered.

Mentioning the ‘One District One Product’ programme of the government of Uttar Pradesh, he said that cities should create an identity of their own and promote it by some unique products or place in the city. He also asked mayors to ensure that LED bulbs are used widely in the streetlights and homes of their cities.