Govt plans to set up high-level expert committee for urban planning

03 Feb 2022 CW Team

By the time of India @ 100, about half the population is likely to be living in urban regions.To prepare for this, orderly urban growth is of vital importance. It will assist in realising the nation's economic potential, comprising livelihood opportunities for the demographic dividend.

For this, the minister emphasised that there is a requirement to nurture the megacities and their hinterlands to become present centres of economic development.

On the other hand, they need to boost tier two and three cities to take on the mantle in the future. It would require them to reimagine their cities into centres of sustainable living with opportunities for all, comprising women and youth.

For this to happen, the finance minister said that urban planning cannot continue with a business-as-usual approach.They plan to steer a paradigm transformation. A high-level committee of reputed urban planners, urban economists and institutions will be created to suggest urban sector policies, capacity building, planning, execution and governance.

For urban capacity building, Sitharaman said that the help will be rendered to the states. Modernisation of developing byelaws, Town Planning Schemes (TPS), and Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) will be executed, she said, adding this would encourage reforms for people to live and work closer to mass transit systems.

The Central Government's financial help for mass transit projects and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme will be leveraged, for the creation of action plans and their execution for facilitating TOD and TPS by the states.

For building India-specific knowledge in urban planning and design, and to provide certified training in these regions, the finance minister said up to five existing academic institutions in various regions will be designated as centres of excellence. These centres will be rendered endowment funds of Rs 250 crore each. Additionally, she said that AICTE will result in enhancing syllabi, quality and access to urban planning courses in other institutions.

Image Source

Also read: Centre pushing smaller towns & cities to reform, using grants as incentive

On Tuesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the media that the government intends to bring a paradigm transformation in urban planning in view of the fast urbanisation in the nation and declared the installation of a high-level expert panel for making suggestions on policy matters, capacity building and execution. By the time of India @ 100, about half the population is likely to be living in urban regions.To prepare for this, orderly urban growth is of vital importance. It will assist in realising the nation's economic potential, comprising livelihood opportunities for the demographic dividend. For this, the minister emphasised that there is a requirement to nurture the megacities and their hinterlands to become present centres of economic development. On the other hand, they need to boost tier two and three cities to take on the mantle in the future. It would require them to reimagine their cities into centres of sustainable living with opportunities for all, comprising women and youth. For this to happen, the finance minister said that urban planning cannot continue with a business-as-usual approach.They plan to steer a paradigm transformation. A high-level committee of reputed urban planners, urban economists and institutions will be created to suggest urban sector policies, capacity building, planning, execution and governance. For urban capacity building, Sitharaman said that the help will be rendered to the states. Modernisation of developing byelaws, Town Planning Schemes (TPS), and Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) will be executed, she said, adding this would encourage reforms for people to live and work closer to mass transit systems. The Central Government's financial help for mass transit projects and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme will be leveraged, for the creation of action plans and their execution for facilitating TOD and TPS by the states. For building India-specific knowledge in urban planning and design, and to provide certified training in these regions, the finance minister said up to five existing academic institutions in various regions will be designated as centres of excellence. These centres will be rendered endowment funds of Rs 250 crore each. Additionally, she said that AICTE will result in enhancing syllabi, quality and access to urban planning courses in other institutions. Image Source Also read: Centre pushing smaller towns & cities to reform, using grants as incentive

Infrastructure Urban

31 Jul 2026

SCLR Extension Nears Completion Linking BKC With Signal-Free Route

The Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR) extension towards Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) via the Mumbai University campus has entered its final stage, bringing motorists closer to a direct, signal-free connection between the Western Express Highway and the city’s commercial district. The elevated connector is being built as an arm from the SCLR alignment and will link the western suburbs with BKC without surface signals. The link is designed to reduce journey times for commuters travelling from the western suburbs to BKC and to improve access to eastern Mumbai. By carrying through traffic above s..

Infrastructure Transport

31 Jul 2026

Raiganj MP Seeks Bengal Only Highway Link To Siliguri

Raiganj Member of Parliament Kartik Chandra Paul met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi to press for a new stretch of national highway in North Dinajpur district. He urged approval for a Bengal-to-Bengal link that would connect National Highways 12 and 27 to allow vehicles bound for Siliguri to avoid the current route through Kishanganj in neighbouring Bihar. He also submitted a proposed alignment of the new road to the ministry for consideration. At present vehicles from Raiganj travel along NH-12 and join NH-27 at Purnia More in Dalkhola, a route that p..

Infrastructure Transport

31 Jul 2026

Airport Kilambakkam Metro Line To Be Extended To Chengalpattu

Chennai Metro Rail (CMRL) has invited tenders for two detailed project reports that would extend its rail network to Chengalpattu in the south and extend Corridor-5 to Wimco Nagar in the north as part of a second wave of expansion beyond the operator's corridors under construction. The move signals an acceleration of planning for suburban links and interchange nodes. The larger of the two studies covers a roughly 27km extension from the planned Kilambakkam metro station to Chengalpattu under Corridor-1, Phase I. CMRL floated the tender at an estimated cost of Rs 21.6 mn. The proposed line woul..