Our urban planning norms restrict rather than facilitate: Hardeep Singh Puri

“Norms are good for control, but the problem is that our urban planning norms restrict rather than facilitate development today. Let us review provisions related to town planning, revenue processes, land administration, rent control etc., to create a flexible and enabling environment for the market to innovate and flourish,” Puri said.

He said citizens should be at the heart of urban planning and plans should go beyond traditional boundaries to include regional plans. He added that cities should become self-reliant, rather than depend on Central funding as they do now. He cited the example of around Rs.4,000 crore raised by some cities from municipal bonds so far.

Earlier in the event, Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Manoj Joshi told the audience, which comprised of town planners from across states, that the Ministry wanted cities to have an adequate number of urban planners. He said there was a “long path” between the sanctioning of the posts and then finally carrying out the recruitment, but private companies and contractors could be used as well. He said the Ministry had allocated Rs.15,000 crore for urban planning reforms this financial year and hoped the amount would be available next year too.