Lok Sabha Question No. 357 (STARRED), answered on 2024-12-19
Subject: Committee on Urban Planning
Ministry: HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Jagdambika Pal, Smt. Aparajita Sarangi

## MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 357

TO BE ANSWERED ON DECEMBER 19, 2024

## COMMITTEE ON URBAN PLANNING

NO. 357.    SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL: SMT. APARAJITA SARANGI:

Will the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs be pleased to state:-

- (a)   the key objectives and expected outcomes of the High-power Committee tasked with drafting a model of urban planning for governance particularly with respect to the challenges faced by urban areas like Delhi;
- (b) the manner in which the Government would ensure that the recommendations of the Committee reflect the needs and challenges faced by various urban areas across the country; and
- (c)   the timeline fixed for the Committee to complete its work along with the manner  in  which  its  findings  would  be  implemented  in  existing  urban governance frameworks?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (SHRI MANOHAR LAL)

- (a) to (c): The statement is laid on the table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (c) OF THE LOK SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  *357  DUE  FOR  ANSWER  ON  19 DECEMBER 2024 REGARDING 'COMMITTEE ON URBAN PLANNING'

(a) to (c) Ministry of  Housing  and  Urban Affairs  (MoHUA)  has  not constituted any High-power Committee tasked with drafting model of urban planning  for  governance.  However,  a  High  Level  Committee  of  reputed urban  planners,  urban  economists  and  institutions  was  constituted  by MoHUA on 31.05.2022 to make recommendations on urban sector policies, capacity building, planning, implementation and governance. The term of the Committee has expired on 31 st  July, 2024.

The terms of reference of the Committee inter alia, were to study urban planning scenario in States/ cities with identification of gaps and suggesting  short/  medium/  long  term  solutions;  Innovative  ideas  and technological intervention on urban planning to enable cities to become 'engines of economic growth and innovation'; facilitate cities to become sustainable  based  on  carrying  capacity  of  ecosystem  support;  studying past  committees'  recommendations/  NITI  Aayog  report  on  'Reforms  in Urban  Planning  Capacity  in  India'  and  status  of  action  taken;  capacity building  and  handhold  the  States  in  urban  planning  reforms,  etc.  The Committee has submitted its report to the Ministry.

As per 12 th  Schedule of the Constitution of India, urban planning including town planning is the function of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)/ Urban Development Authorities. Government of India supplements the efforts of the States through schematic  interventions/ advisories. It provides financial and technical support to the States.

The recommendations of the High Level Committee with regard to capacity building of town and country planners/ State officials, sustainable urbanization, regional planning, urban financing, environment sustainability and climate resilience, water planning, mobility and walkability, etc are covered through various initiatives of the Ministry.

MoHUA  has issued Urban and Regional Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines, 2014 (https://mohua.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/URDPFI%20Guidelines%20Vo l%20I(2).pdf) which inter alia deals with urban planning and governance including sustainability and various challenges faced by the urban areas including Delhi.

MoHUA is implementing Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), under which there is a Sub-Scheme on Formulation of GIS based Master plans for AMRUT cities. The Sub-Scheme aims at geo data base creation and formulation of GIS based Master Plans. At  present,  461  AMRUT  Cities  in  35  States  are  on  boarded  under  the scheme. So far, 219 towns have notified their Master Plans and Master plans for 158 towns are at Draft Stage.

Under AMRUT 2.0, Scheme for Formulation of GIS based Master Plans has been extended to cover Class-II Towns with population of 50,000 -  99,999.  So  far,  661  Class-II  towns  have  submitted  proposal  under  the scheme.

MoHUA has designated four Institutes as Centre of Excellence in Urban Planning & Design for developing India specific knowledge in urban planning and design, and to deliver certified training/ certified courses to Civil  Servants,  State  Town  Planners,  Municipal  officials,  practitioners/ professionals, young students etc. These institutes are:

(i) School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi

(ii) Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

(iii) CEPT, Ahmedabad

(iv) NIT Calicut

These Centres of Excellence (CoEs) will serve as an interdisciplinary platform in the field of urban planning, urban design, and allied fields. CoEs will also partner with Cities on real on-ground projects and on initiatives under urban planning reforms.

In order to incentivize States to undertake urban planning reforms, Department  of Expenditure (DoE), Ministry  of  Finance  implemented following Schemes:

i. Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2022-23  -  Part  VI  (Urban  Planning  Reforms)  -  The  reform  components included Modernization of Building Bylaws by removing contradictions and optimizing land use, adoption  of modern  urban  planning  tools  like Transferrable  Development  Rights  (TDR),  implementation  of  Local  Area Plans (LAP) and Town Planning Schemes (TPS), implementation of Transitoriented Development (ToD). Further States were incentivized for Creation of  Sponge  Cities,  Removing  Taxation  for  running  the  Buses  for  Public Transport.

ii. Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2023-24  -  Part  III  (Urban  Planning  Reforms)  -  The  reform  components included  augmentation  of  human  resources  by  hiring  of  qualified  urban planners, implementation of Town Planning Scheme (TPS)/ Land Pooling Scheme, Modernization of Building Bylaws, promoting Affordable Housing and in-situ slum  rehabilitation, Transit-Oriented  Development  (TOD), Transferable Development Rights as planning tool, strengthening natural ecosystems  of  urban  areas  through  urban  planning,  development  of waterfronts etc.

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