New Delhi: The Chhattisgarh government on Wednesday signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) and CEPT University to strengthen urban infrastructure planning, improve financial resource mobilisation and enhance the technical capabilities of urban local bodies (ULBs).
The agreements were signed in the presence of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai during the first regional workshop on the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) and Urban Invest Window (UiWIN), held in Nava Raipur.
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The workshop, jointly organised by HUDCO and the state's Urban Administration and Development Department (UADD), focused on enabling cities to access institutional financing, develop financially viable infrastructure projects and strengthen their capacity to implement sustainable urban development initiatives.
Inaugurating the workshop, Sai said cities would play a decisive role in achieving the vision of a developed India and a developed Chhattisgarh. He emphasised that urban planning must go beyond addressing immediate civic problems and anticipate the infrastructure requirements of future generations.
Describing cities as engines of economic growth, employment, trade and innovation, the Chief Minister said urban development must be planned, inclusive and environmentally sustainable.
He urged municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats to prepare technically sound and financially viable projects that could attract funding under the Urban Challenge Fund.
Sai said the state government was implementing its development roadmap in mission mode, aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Highlighting persistent infrastructure deficiencies in urban areas, Sai called for permanent solutions to recurring waterlogging during the monsoon.
He stressed that cities must invest in comprehensive drainage systems rather than rely on temporary measures that fail to address the underlying problems.
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The Chief Minister also expressed concern over poorly planned electricity and utility networks, particularly overhead cables that create safety hazards and obstruct the movement of large vehicles and processions.
He directed urban authorities to explore underground electricity and utility networks wherever technically and financially feasible.
Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao, who also holds the Urban Administration and Development portfolio, said the Centre's Rs 1 lakh crore allocation for the Urban Challenge Fund presented a significant opportunity to accelerate infrastructure development across Chhattisgarh.
However, he emphasised that securing funds would depend on the ability of urban local bodies to formulate credible, high-quality and financially sustainable projects.
Sao urged municipal authorities to strengthen project preparation and maximise the state's share of available central resources.
The MoUs with HUDCO and CEPT University are expected to provide institutional support to urban local bodies in project planning, financial management, technical consultancy and capacity building.
The partnerships will also facilitate professional training, access to specialised expertise and the development of infrastructure proposals aligned with the actual requirements of individual cities.
Sai said the agreements would help municipal bodies move towards more effective project execution, better financial management and improved delivery of urban services.
He called upon elected municipal representatives and officials to study the Urban Challenge Fund guidelines carefully, engage technical experts and prioritise projects capable of delivering measurable improvements in citizens' quality of life.
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