Govt plans paradigm shift in urban planning; proposes to set up expert committee

New Delhi: The "business as usual" approach towards urban planning will not work and the government is planning a paradigm shift in view of rapid urbanisation in the country, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday.

Presenting the Budget 2022-23, she announced setting up of a high-level expert panel for making suggestions on policy matters, capacity building and implementation.

"By the time India turns 100, nearly half of our population is likely to live in urban areas. To prepare for this, orderly urban development is of critical importance. This will help realise the country's economic potential, including livelihood opportunities for the demographic dividend," she said.

For this, the finance minister stressed the need for nurturing megacities and their hinterlands to turn them centres of economic growth.

"We need to facilitate tier two and three cities to take on the mantle in the future. This would require us to reimagine our cities into centres of sustainable living with opportunities for all, including women and youth," she observed.

For this to happen, urban planning cannot continue with a business-as-usual approach, the finance minister said in her budget speech.

"We plan to steer a paradigm change. A high-level committee of reputed urban planners, urban economists and institutions will be formed to make recommendations on urban sector policies, capacity building, planning, implementation and governance," she said.

States will be provided support for urban capacity building, Sitharaman said.