'People will keep migrating from rural areas, regardless of development'

Former Urban Development Secretary Shankar Agarwal said that migration from rural to urban will continue as people will want to move out in search for better opportunities and livelihood. He further hailed the Smart City Mission and stressed on the use of Information and Technology.

New Delhi: Former Urban Development Secretary Shankar Agarwal pressed that irrespective of the development in rural India, people will keep migrating to the urban landscapes.

In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat Shankar Agarwal hailed the 'Smart City Mission' of the government. He said, "India is in a process of urbanisation. Whatever you do, people will keep migrating from rural areas to urban areas in search of employment opportunities, better livelihood and better facilities," said Agarwal.He said that it's the responsibility of the city planner and manager as well as the government to create a conducive atmosphere for development."The environment should be conducive for new employment which promotes research and thinking in the society. It should also promote art and culture," said Agarwal.During his tenure as India's urban development secretary, Agarwal also took several initiatives for the overall development of the urban sector."We need to create a smart city with extensive use of Information and Technology," suggested Agarwal.The former bureaucrat further stressed that the smart cities should be citizen-centric rather than regulator centric.