Rs 39 lakh crore needed for infra in urban areas until 2032: Hardeep Singh Puri

The investments required in urban areas for a 20-year period between 2012-13 and 2031-32 is estimated to be Rs 39 lakh crore, the government said on Tuesday. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has constituted a high-powered expert committee to provide an estimate of investments required for urban infrastructure services, including the maintenance and replacement, the minister of state for housing and urban affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri, said in the Lok Sabha. "As per the report of HPEC, the estimated urban investment requirement for the 20-year period from 2012-13 to 2031-32 is Rs 39.2 lakh crore," Puri said in a written reply to a question. He said nearly Rs 20 lakh crore has been estimated for operation and maintenance of all cities and towns. He said 90 "smart cities" selected so far have indicated a total investment of Rs 1.9 lakh crore in their proposals. Replying to another question, he said the government has decided to discontinue the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojna (HRIDAY) after it ends in November 2018.