Ministry Pushes for Planned Peri-Urban Growth Before 16th Finance Panel

06 Nov 2024 CW Team

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is expected to propose a focus on the planned development of peri-urban areas to tap into Sixteenth Finance Commission grants. This move aims to discourage haphazard growth and illegal constructions in the outskirts of cities.

To shape its recommendations, the ministry has formed sub-groups to address key areas such as political intervention, administrative reforms, and financial resources. The recommendations will be submitted to the commission, which was formed on December 31, 2023, and is chaired by former Niti Aayog vice chairman Arvind Panagariya. The commission's final report is expected by October 2025, and its recommendations will cover the period from 2026-27 to 2031-32.

The ministry’s focus on peri-urban areas marks a shift from the Fifteenth Finance Commission’s focus on urban reforms in larger cities. "We want to incentivise states to plan urbanisation in peri-urban areas, preventing organic, unstructured growth," a senior official stated.

The Five-member Finance Commission is also expected to recommend strategies for enhancing the revenue of urban local bodies, which will be critical in ensuring sustainable urban development. The Fifteenth Finance Commission had allocated ?1.21 lakh crore for urban bodies between 2021 and 2026, with different grant categories based on city population.

As the ministry looks toward involving planning bodies more effectively, reforms to break down top-heavy state structures will likely be crucial. By incentivising change, officials believe these bodies will be better equipped to address the complexities of urbanisation.

Real Estate

07 Jul 2026

Pecan Realty Completes Rs 1.5 Billion Transactions

Pecan Realty has recently completed four institutional transactions worth over Rs 1.5 billion over the past two years, strengthening its position as an execution-led real estate platform. The deals include resolution-led acquisitions, structured finance transactions and capital partnerships across its development portfolio.The transactions covered acquisitions through the National Company Law Tribunal process and helped provide repayment or exits to both private and public sector lenders. The company said the deals demonstrate its ability to resolve complex project situations, work with instit..

SNN Estates Expands North Bengaluru Housing Project

SNN Estates has announced an expansion of its SNN Estates Felicity residential project in North Bengaluru following strong buyer demand, with 75 per cent of the first-phase inventory sold within three days of launch.The developer will add 76 apartments in the new phase, taking the project's estimated revenue potential to around Rs 1,000 crore upon completion of Phase 2.Spread across 6.5 acres in Rachenahalli, near Manyata Tech Park, the project comprises 604 apartments in 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 and 4 BHK configurations. The development includes a 50,000-sq-ft clubhouse with amenities such as sports co..

SCG Drives ASEAN Industrial Transformation Strategy

SCG is strengthening its focus on ASEAN as a key growth region by advancing industrial transformation, enhancing competitiveness and building resilient regional value chains. Thammasak Sethaudom, President and Chief Executive Officer, SCG, highlighted the need for industries to continuously develop capabilities, strengthen resilience and deepen regional cooperation to achieve sustainable long-term growth.SCG views ASEAN as an important growth engine alongside China, supported by favourable demographics, trade connectivity and investment flows. With ASEAN’s GDP projected to grow by around 4.7..