RAJE URGES PUBLIC TO KEEP RAJASTHAN “CLEAN AND LIVEABLE”

Noting that the government alone cannot keep the cities clean and liveable, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje recently urged the public as well as Mayors, representatives of the local municipal bodies to work together to improve environment.Raje, while addressing the inaugural session of the ‘Municipalika 2015’ stated that the state government is working in line with the Union Government’s series of programmes at urban reconstruction, consolidation and reforms.

“Rajasthan is earnestly working for the initiatives of the centre such as Swach Bharat Mission, Smart Cities, Atal Mission of Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, Housing for all and HRIDAY for better governance and a better quality of life for residents,” Raje said.She stated that her government has taken a decision to significantly bring down the carbon footprint through urban management, tree plantation, water conservation and recycling.In this context, she informed, all 33 districts of the state will be competing in reducing the carbon footprints.

Minister of Urban Development and Housing of the state Rajpal Singh Shekhawat said that the state government has taken up ‘Mukhyamantri Janawas Yojana’ to cope up with the mass migration of the rural population to the cities.Canada’s High Commissioner to India Nadir Patel said the urban population in India would grow by 40 percent in the next 15 years and India will have to take measures for transformation.He said Canada which is a leading country in the world for creating urban facilities with a strong eco system is already doing business in the country and helping India in the transformation.

Asian Development Bank’s Country Director M Teresa Kho said that the ADB is collaborating to build 100 smart cities in the country.The Resident Coordinator, United Nations Development Programme, Yuri Afanasiev said that India faces the big challenge on demographic front and it would have 200 million rural persons migrating to the urban areas by the year 2030.Municipalika 2015, which is being held for the first time in Jaipur has as its participants a large number of urban and housing sector officials and representatives of 176 local bodies, international delegates from seven countries, private industry and professionals, among others for the three-day event.