Union Power Minister And CM Goa Reviews Progress Of Urban Development Schemes In Panaji
The Union Minister also commended the State’s efforts in achieving universal electrification and loss reduction
Union Cabiner Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs & Power, Manohar Lal held a meeting with Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant and Vishwajit Rane Minister for Urban Development, Town & Country Planning, Health, Forest, in Panaji today to review the implementation and progress of key urban development initiatives and infrastructure projects in the State.
The Minister reviewed the comprehensive development plans of urban schemes of MoHUA such as Atal Mission for Rejuvenation & Urban Transformation (AMRUT & AMRUT 2.0), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U & PMAY-U 2.0), Smart Cities Mission (SCM), Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban (SBM-U & SBM-U 2.0), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) and PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi).
In connection, Chief Minister-Goa requested to consider special assistance for 24x 7 water supply Drink from Tap (DfT) (Project cost about Rs 652.61Cr) special financial assistance of ₹326.30 crore minimum for Water Source Augmentation, Infrastructure Development, Rehabilitation of Existing Network, pilot Drink-from-Tap projects including smart metering, IoT and SCADA-based monitoring systems to the State under AMRUT 2.0.
The Union Minister agreed to consider the request for 24×7 water supply Drink from Tap (DfT) Scheme for Goa state
Also Chief Minister requested to consider Given Goa’s unique urban challenges, particularly due to the significantly high volume of tourist inflow placing additional burden on civic infrastructure and requested that the State be considered as a special case for enhanced and expedited support under both AMRUT 2.0 and SBM-U 2.0.
The Minister agreed and instructed the concerned official for necessary policy changes in the tourist states.
In the spirit of cooperative federalism, the Centre and the State are working closely to expedite priority projects for the overall development of the State and are also coordinating to resolve the major challenges and pending issues.
Union Minister emphasized the need to develop, improve infrastructure and promote sustainable urbanisation through strategic planning and public-private partnerships.
He also advised the State to complete all pending works related to water supply (new/service tap connections and new/service sewer connections) under AMRUT; revision of action plan, expedite tendering work for toilets (community toilets, public toilets, aspirational toilets, urinals), Solid Waste Management, STP/co-treatment facilities under SBM; submit proposals, inform and educate citizens about PMAY-U 2.0 to get benefits of affordable housing; profile Street Vendors under PM SVANidhi, clear eligible loan applications and increase women participation.
The Minister also directed the State to submit proposal for PM-eBus Sewa Scheme. He also reviewed the progress under Smart Cities and DAY-NULM.
The Minister said that Goa, as a prominent tourist hub and a rapidly growing State, is witnessing significant progress in urban development. He provided guidelines for effective planning and proper implementation of urban schemes under MoHUA to promote development and enhance ease of living for the people.
In another meeting on Power Sector, Union Minister Manohar Lal, held a detailed review meeting with the Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant, and senior officials in Panaji today.
The meeting focused on the power sector developments, loss reduction initiatives, and the progress under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).
Commending the Government of Goa and the Electricity Department for their effective efforts in ensuring power availability and achieving universal electrification, Shri Manohar Lal stated, “Goa has shown exemplary performance in reducing AT&C losses to 9.32%, which is significantly below the national average. This is a testament to the State’s sustained efforts in improving the efficiency of its power distribution system.”
The Minister appreciated the State’s significant progress in implementing infrastructure works under RDSS aimed at reducing losses. However, he emphasized the need to accelerate the pace of smart metering, which has the potential to revolutionize consumer engagement with DISCOMs through data analytics and AI/ML tools.
