Union Minister Manohar Lal attends conference of urban local bodies as chief guest

Union Minister for Power, Housing, and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal attended the National Conference of Chairpersons of Urban Local Bodies held at Manesar, Gurugram, on Friday as the chief guest.

According to an official statement, in his address, the minister emphasised the crucial role such conferences play in capacity building for urban governance. He further said that such events should be regularly organised across the country, and highlighted the importance of utilising online platforms to ensure broader participation. ''Wider engagement will empower more people to contribute and help transform the face of our cities,'' he said.

Manohar Lal also encouraged the implementation of best practices showcased during the conference, especially by those urban bodies that demonstrated exemplary work, to further improve the quality of life and infrastructure in cities.

The Union minister emphasised that urban development must go hand-in-hand with environment protection, saying that it is essential to keep environmental sustainability at the forefront while pursuing developmental initiatives.

Manohar Lal said that cities will be redeveloped through the central government's Urban Challenge Fund, under which Rs one lakh crore will be allocated.

He said that best practices from leading cities around the world are being adopted to improve urban living conditions. As part of this effort, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) has recently been signed with Spain to facilitate the exchange of successful urban development models between the two countries.

He emphasised the importance of skill development for employees and officers working in municipal bodies. He encouraged the use of the iGOT Karmayogi platform (https://www.igotkarmayogi.gov.in) for continuous learning and capacity building. So far, 21 states have signed MoUs to adopt the platform.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)