Andhra Pradesh tops Ease of Living Index, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Odisha

New Delhi, Sep 25: Andhra Pradesh has secured the first rank in the 'Ease of Living Index' rankings under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), followed by Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs ministry said on Monday.

The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry declared the results and speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that the index would help in developing the urban living in different states of the country.

Andhra Pradesh has also outperformed 28 other States and seven Union Territories (UTs) to be the best in India for conducting business.

AMRUT was launched by Prime Minister of Narendra Modi in June 2015 to improve the quality of life of people in urban areas. AMRUT aims at ensuring robust sewage networks, water supply and other infrastructure to improve the quality of life of people in urban areas.

The MoHUA released the first ever 'Ease of Living Index' covering 111 Indian cities on 13 August 2018, which serves as a litmus test to help assess the progress made in cities through various initiatives. Three cities of Maharastra - Pune, Navi Mumbai and Greater Mumbai - have been ranked first, second and third in the list of most liveable cities. The list has raised many eyebrows as it places New Delhi at the 65th position, below Ghaziabad (63) and Muzaffarpur (46).