The Uttar Pradesh government is leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to develop infrastructure facilities and enhance civic services in urban areas across the state as in a recent move it has instructed the newly-formed urban bodies to present detailed action plans during their first meeting.
“The aim is to ensure effective and timely implementation of various schemes initiated by the Government of India and the state government, including Amrit 2.0, SBM 2.0, Bharat Mission 1.0, National Clean Air Programme, and others,” Principal Secretary (Urban Development) Amrit Abhijat told this reporter on Friday.
SBM 2.0 refers to the second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), which is a national cleanliness and sanitation campaign initiated by the Government of India and it is the continuation and extension of the Swachh Bharat Mission beyond its initial phase. It aims to build on the achievements of the first phase and further advance the country’s sanitation and cleanliness efforts. The second phase focuses on sustaining the sanitation coverage achieved, addressing the remaining gaps, and consolidating the gains made in the first phase.
The government’s directive also emphasises the need for the development of basic amenities in the expanded and newly-created urban areas. The urban bodies have been given a deadline of July 20 to submit their action plans to the government. Additionally, there is a strong emphasis on taking measures to increase the income of the civic bodies.
Amrit Abhijat has issued the instructions to Director of Urban Bodies Dr Nitin Bansal as well as to all municipal commissioners and executive officers. The instructions include providing details of the budget allocation for the financial year 2023-24 to the newly-constituted boards of urban bodies, as well as information about potential revenue sources for these bodies.