The states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh have been highlighted for their development under the AMRUT Mission (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation). They were also encouraged to engage in “Catch the Rain” campaign activities, a mission focused on conserving and harvesting every drop of water by implementing rainwater harvesting in urban structures.
AMRUT Mission at a Glance
Launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in June 2015, the AMRUT Mission aims to guarantee tap water access and sewerage connection for every household. Priority is given to water supply before sewerage. The mission also seeks to enhance the quality of urban life through the creation of green and open spaces like parks, and reducing pollution with public transport facilities or non-motorized transport services such as walking or cycling paths.
Key Components and Funding
The key components of the mission comprise capacity building, reform implementation, water supply, sewerage and septage management, storm water drainage, urban transport, and the development of green spaces and parks. The reforms aim to improve the delivery of citizen services, bring down the cost of delivery, improve financial health, augment resources, and enhance transparency, including replacing street lights with LED lights. A total of Rs. 50,000 crores was allocated for AMRUT from FY 2015-16 to FY 2019-20. However, the completion deadline has been extended to 31st March, 2021 due to the targets set for urban renewal in 500 cities not being met.
State Annual Action Plan (SAAP) and Supervision
The AMRUT mission has made states equal partners in planning and implementation of projects through annual SAAP approval by MoHUA. States are responsible for project sanctions and approvals, embodying cooperative federalism. The mission is supervised by an Apex Committee (AC), helmed by the Secretary, MoHUA and including representatives of related ministries and organizations.
AMRUT Mission Status in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh
In AMRUT’s national rankings, Himachal Pradesh stands at 15th place and Uttarakhand at 24th, with Odisha leading the rankings. Both states have successfully implemented the Online Building Permission System (OBPS) in their mission cities. OBPS, part of the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ initiative, should be implemented in all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) beyond mission cities. Also, Credit Rating work has been completed in all mission cities in both states. Credit rating assesses a ULB’s ability to meet its financial obligations.
Both states have been informed that a common Dashboard for all the missions of the Ministry, like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban, Smart Cities Mission has been developed, making information regarding all the states/UT/cities readily available. The states are expected to use this facility for monitoring progress. They were requested to update the details of their missions regularly so that the updates would be reflected on the portal/dashboard. This data is used for monitoring, reviewing, and assessing monthly rankings on progress among states.
