Narendra Modi launches AMRUT, says 2 cr houses will be built for urban poor

Making an initiative for urban development Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation), Smart Cities Mission and Housing for All schemes to ensure basic infrastructure and sanitation in the country adding that two crore new houses will be built for urban poor.

"AMRUT will build 2 crore houses for urban poor. Every uban poor will be able to hold a house," he said. Under the scheme, central government will provide an assistance of Rs 1-2.3 lakh for every house, he added.

As per reports, while the Rs 48,000 crore Smart City mission is aimed at applying smart solutions to improve infrastructure and service delivery in the cities, the AMRUT mission, worth Rs 50,000 crore, aims at infrastructure development of 500 cities with the population of over one lakh.

The Housing for All will help provide decent housing to the economically weaker sections of the society.

Modi said that the country needed FDI for urban rejuvenation projects. "We can't get disheartened thinking world is ahead of us," he added.

Modi said that expansion of cities depends on the decisions taken by the local bodies and heaped praises on Chattisgarh for taking effective measures to get rid of open defaecation.
 
Commemorating completion of 40 years since June 25-26 emergency was declared, Modi said, "Nobody can forget June 25-26 when the nation was turned into a jail and bound with chains of emergency for lust of power 40 years back. On the occasion, 40 years later, we want to preserve the dreams under which all citizens prosper under a democratic system. Our decision to set up a memorial for Jai Prakash Narain will always inspire those who love democracy."