Lok Sabha Question No. 898 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-04
Subject: Empowerment of Urban Staff for better City Planning Management
Ministry: HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: Smt. Bijuli Kalita Medhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 898 TO BE ANSWERED ON DECEMBER 04, 2025

## EMPOWERMENT OF URBAN STAFF FOR BETTER CITY

## PLANNING MANAGEMENT

NO. 898.  SMT. BIJULI KALITA MEDHI:

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

- (a) the manner  in  which  the  Government   envisions  the  future     of urban staff working in harmony with advanced smart city technologies; and
- (b) the details of specific programmes aimed at promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women in urban planning roles?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (SHRI TOKHAN SAHU)

(a) & (b): Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) is implementing Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), which was  launched  on  25  June  2015.  Smart  elements,  components  and technologies  are  part  of  AMRUT  projects  and  this  aims  to  promote sustainable  urban  development.  AMRUT  guidelines  provides  for  smart elements such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) as part  of  the  water  supply  and  sewerage  projects.  As  reported  by States/UTs 258 Water supply projects and 146 Sewerage projects have been implemented with SCADA.

Technology Sub-Mission is an important component of AMRUT 2.0 to encourage start-up ideas and private entrepreneurship and commissioning them into the pilot projects. As reported by States/UTs under AMRUT 2.0, 1,415 water supply projects, 246 Sewerage projects are approved with SCADA.

MoHUA is supporting States/ Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in capacity building activities through various Schemes of the Ministry such as Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), for improving the capacities of ULB functionaries, elected representatives, etc., which includes all sections of the society including women. Under AMRUT, against the target of 45000 functionaries, 57134 functionaries have already been trained so far.

Under AMRUT 2.0, capacity building programs are conducted for all stakeholders including contractors, plumbers, plant operators, students, women and citizens.

MoHUA has designated 4 Institutes in different regions as Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Urban Planning and Design, which inter alia impart certified  trainings/  certified  courses  to  Civil  Servants,  State  Town Planners, Municipal Officials, practitioners/professionals, young students etc. These centres have been provided endowment funds of ₹ 250 crore each.

Besides, MoHUA has also designated 6 institutes as AMRUT Funded Centre of Urban Planning for Capacity Building. The role envisaged for these institutes inter alia include subject specific trainings to Municipal officials/  Town  and  Country  Planning  officials,  augmenting  capacity building of State / Local authorities and hand hold them in urban planning.

MoHUA  promotes  gender  sensitive  and  inclusive  urban  planning. Under  AMRUT  2.0,  Ministry  has  also  launched  AMRUT  Mitra  initiative which  involves  women  Self  Help  Groups  (SHGs)  in  water  demand management, water quality testing, water infrastructure operations, and other water sectoral projects. In convergence with NULM, Women SHGs have  led  tree  plantation  drives  in  urban  areas  through  AMRUT  Mitra initiative  under  AMRUT  2.0.  Women  SHGs  have  been  involved  in  site identification, plantation of saplings, and maintenance for survivability of plants. So far, 6,094 projects worth ₹377.81 crore have been approved under AMRUT Mitra.

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