New Delhi: A Parliamentary panel on Urban development has said that the ongoing COVID-19 induced lockdown with the forced migrant influx in various places may delay India's dream of achieving five trillion dollar economy by 2024.
"Relatively high degree of joblessness in other sectors of the economy, the optimism of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for realising the objectives set out may get delayed and may go beyond even 2024," the Parliamentary committee said it's its recommendations. It further said that both the response and strategy of the government be strengthened for the desired purpose.
The committee, however, hailed the ministry for its ongoing and future setup that are planned under four prominent missions that inter alia include the extension of SWM (U) for another five years with huge investment for ensuring holistic cleanliness across the urban area for achieving the goal of taking country's economy to five trillion economy by 2024.
In its recommendations, the committee, chaired by BJP MP Jagadambika Pal, said that the demands for grants (2020-21) of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs that seeks to propose a gross provision of Rs 57,786 crore and net provision of Rs 50,039 crore deducting anticipated recoveries are within ministry's vision of providing ease of leaving, responsive governance etc.
It highlighted Government's response to urbanisation challenges by way of implementation of prominent flagship programmes of PMAY (U), SCM, SBM (U) and DAY-NULM through a three-level strategy addressing three big issues of poverty alleviation, affordable housing and cleanliness so that urban India can play an important role in achieving $5 trillion economy target by 2024.
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"The committee, however, feels that in the light of 2030 development agenda of the United Nations with emphasis on sustainable cities and in view of rising urbanisation trends witnessing as high as 53 cities with more than one million-plus population, both the response of the government and strategy available need to be strengthened for achieving the intended goals," the committee in its recommendations said.
The Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has informed the parliamentary committee that from May 2014 onwards, the government embarked on one of the most comprehensive programmes of urbanisation.
"Critical issues of higher funding required for urban infrastructure was addressed by a substantial increase in budgetary allocation under various schemes launched from 2014-15 onwards," the ministry said.
It said that the annual average budgetary allocations during the preceding 10 year period (2004-05 and 2013-14) were around Rs 15,800 crore, which has now increased to around Rs 47,000 crore.
"Taking into account the investment made in the urban sector in last 6 years, budgetary allocations for 2020-21 and the projected investment of Rs 17,74,167 crore on urban infrastructure in the national infrastructure pipeline, MoHUA is targeted to contribute to achieving the goal of five trillion dollar economy by 2024," the ministry said.
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