The Hon’ble Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Manohar Lal, held a high-level review meeting in Panaji with the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Goa, Shri Pramod Sawant, and Urban Development Minister Shri Vishwajit Rane to assess the progress of key urban infrastructure projects and flagship schemes under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

The review covered urban initiatives including AMRUT & AMRUT 2.0, Smart Cities Mission (SCM), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U & 2.0), Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban (SBM-U & 2.0), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), and PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi).

Goa’s Chief Minister sought special financial assistance for a 24x7 ‘Drink from Tap’ (DfT) initiative under AMRUT 2.0, citing a total project cost of approximately Rs 6.53 billion, and requested at least Rs 3.26 billion to support water source augmentation, infrastructure rehabilitation, smart metering, and SCADA-based monitoring.

Acknowledging Goa’s unique urban challenges as a major tourist state, the Union Minister agreed to consider the proposal and instructed officials to draft policy provisions that support enhanced and expedited funding under AMRUT 2.0 and SBM-U 2.0 for high-tourism regions.

In line with cooperative federalism, both Centre and State reaffirmed their commitment to fast-track urban initiatives, address pending issues, and improve urban infrastructure through strategic public-private partnerships.

The Union Minister also urged Goa to:

6. Complete pending AMRUT works related to water and sewerage connections

7. Accelerate tendering for community and public toilets, solid waste and STP facilities under SBM

8. Promote PMAY-U 2.0 awareness for affordable housing uptake

9. Profile street vendors and improve loan disbursement under PM SVANidhi

10. Submit proposals for the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme

11. Boost women’s participation across urban schemes

He commended Goa for its rapid urban progress and highlighted the importance of effective planning and timely implementation to enhance the quality of life for citizens.