VIJAYAWADA: Stating that the Andhra Pradesh government was focusing on enhancing liveability of cities, principal secretary (energy, infrastructure, investment and APCRDA) Ajay Jain said that urban development initiatives worth `50,000 crore were underway across the State.
Addressing delegates at the Southern Region Policy Dialogue on ‘Making Liveable Cities: Challenges and Way Forward’ organised in the city on Wednesday, Jain said that the State government was working in line with the agenda of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Because of enhancing liveability, Vijayawada, Tirupati and Visakhapatnam have been ranked among the top 20 cities in India’s ‘Ease of Living Index 2018’. Under various urban development missions, `50,000 crore works are underway in the State,” Jain said.
One of the key pillars of ‘liveability’ and smart governance was citizen engagement in decision-making, he added. Citing the example of the Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) used for procuring land for capital Amaravati, he said, “Amaravati’s success with the LPS has shown how public participation can result in fast-track and effective implementation. It has been the fastest land procurement in history of the country with more than 33,500 acres acquired from 27,365 farmers.”
APCRDA chief Cherukuri Sreedhar said that the government has already established the Amaravati Smart and Sustainable City Corporation Ltd with an emphasis on the development of micro climate management, urban mobility, blue-green, smart utilities and smart governance. The Energy and Research Institute conducted the programme in association with the Royal Embassy of Denmark in India.