Lucknow: Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar chaired a virtual review meeting under the PRAGATI 50 initiative, with Uttar Pradesh Urban Development and Energy Minister A.K. Sharma participating. The initiative, launched as part of the 10-year journey and completion of 50 episodes of the PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) platform, seeks to identify 50 major cities across the country for development along the lines of global cities.
Uttar Pradesh has the highest representation in the initiative, with six cities—Agra, Ayodhya, Lucknow, Mathura-Vrindavan, Prayagraj and Varanasi—selected for the programme. Sharma welcomed the selection and advocated the inclusion of Kanpur, describing it as an important industrial and historic city that should also get an opportunity to benefit from the initiative.
Addressing the meeting, Khattar said the 50 selected cities would be developed with a focus on improved urban infrastructure, cleanliness, waste management and modern civic facilities. He said the Centre and state governments would work together to accelerate projects related to sanitation and scientific waste management.
Sharma said that under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh was continuously working to make its cities cleaner, more attractive, modern and globally oriented. He said PRAGATI 50 would promote 24×7 mechanised cleaning, scientific solid-waste management, improved wastewater management, green transportation, solar energy and modern civic amenities in the selected cities.
He said developing cities such as Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mathura-Vrindavan and Prayagraj, along with Agra and Lucknow, in line with global urban standards would provide better facilities to pilgrims and tourists while strengthening their international identity. Sharma added that the systems and practices developed under PRAGATI 50 could subsequently be adopted as models by other urban local bodies across the country.
