Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has launched an ambitious plan to improve infrastructure in major cities, BBC Online reports Monday.
The 23 billion US dollar (142 milliarder DKR) National Urban Renewal Scheme will cover 60 cities with a population of over a million. It will also focus on religious and historical cities as well as those which are major tourist attractions.
Many of Indias major cities are overpopulated and suffer from housing shortages as well as other infrastructure such as power and water.
Launching the scheme in the Indian capital, Mr Singh said: – A major failure of city governance has been our inability to address the needs of the poor – basic services like drinking water supply, sanitation, housing and social services are not available to an increasing share of urban population.
The Indian prime minister said that simple steps such as providing the urban poor land at affordable rates could improve the quality of living in Indian cities.
He strongly advocated the need to reform urban administration and infrastructure.
The scheme will, over a seven-year period, work on an integrated approach emphasising basic services like housing, sanitation and improving slums. Sceptics want to see the plan being put to practice, BBC adds.
