Policy Talks | Urban policy has shifted from top down to contextual, tells Sanjeev Sanyal

A conversation with Sanjeev Sanyal, member of the Prime Minister Economic Advisory Council on Urban Policy in India. Under #Prime #Minister #Narendra #Modi there has been a shift in the way funds are being allocated for urban projects. Instead of one model rules all policy formulation, every city is getting project funding that it needs. Earlier during the #UPA era the central government decided everything and #JNNURM funded buses and water projects.  Hence , even hilly #cities got low floor buses that were unsuitable for the terrain, while water pipelines were planned, funding taken by the state government but were never laid or completed. Even the Prime Minister Awaas Yojana in urban areas is geared towards giving subsidies or loans to poor to make their own homes instead of depending upon cardboard houses made by the government. This mean the involvement of CPWD/PWD in constructing homes for the poor is going down.  According to Sanyal, Smart Cities are also being reimagined by the cities themselves and projects like redeveloping existing markets like Chappan lane in Indore or redeveloping the heritage area in Surat are being done under this scheme.  Do subscribe to Policy Talks.