Provide rural areas with urban amenities to save cities: Reddy

New Delhi, Apr 26 (UNI) The concept of providing urban amenities in rural areas (PURA) has a great potential to solve many problems that both urban and rural areas are facing today, Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy said here today.

Overcrowding, stress on basic facilities, traffic congestion, housing shortage are linked to uncontrolled migration to cities, so if 'PURA' were implemented along with other ongoing schemes in an organized manner, urban growth would take place in a much efficient and planned manner, he said.

Mr Reddy was speaking at the 36th Housing and Urban Development Corporation(HUDCO)Annual Day here today.

He said the launch of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission by the Prime Minister was a step towards making our cities efficient, equitable, responsive and accountable.

Underlining that the aim of the mission was to ensure improvement in urban governance, he said the expertise of HUDCO can help draw city development plans and investment and project planning.

Mr Reddy stated that with the opening up of economy and better access to the external world, government was receiving a lot of demand from countries in Asia, Africa and the Pacific for assistance in urban management. He said it was time to use the in-house resources for providing solutions to other countries.

The Minister expressed happiness over fulfilling targets and sanctioning projects worth Rs.10,099 crores by HUDCO despite severe competition in the market.

Later, Mr Reddy along with Ms Selja, Union Minister for Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation (Independent Charge) gave away Sir M Viswesvarayya Prizes for low cost housing competition on Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojna to Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board, Chennai, Asansol Durgapur Development Authority, Durgapur, West Bengal and to Andhra Pradesh State Housing Corporation Limited, Hyderabad. Both the Ministers also gave away HUDCO annual awards and Long Service Awards to HUDCO employees.

Secretary, Ministry of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation Ranjit Issar, Chairman and Managing Director of HUDCO Dr. P.S. Rana also spoke on the occasion.

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