Ranvir Prasad (IAS)


We’re ensuring that green areas are not developed out as a part of the city, but rather cities are developed as part of green areas, shares Ranvir Prasad (IAS), Commissioner, Uttar Pradesh Avas Vikas Parishad in an exclusive interview with Ritika Srivastava of Elets News Network (ENN). Edited excerpts.

What are the overall plans for addressing the investment conflict, and how are we planning for a sustainable future of the state?


The state is at an exciting stage of development, aiming to become a $1 trillion economy. Urban development is crucial for this. Our housing and urban planning department has set an agenda to involve both the government and private sectors in increasing urbanisation. Currently, about 20-21% of our population lives in urban areas, with regional disparities. For instance, Eastern UP needs more urbanisation. Our goal is to increase this by another 10%. We’ve provided a framework for this, including a township policy and planning reforms. We’re engaging planners, changing planning paradigms, and the new township policy encourages private sector participation.

Looking at the next five years, how do you envision shaping UP, especially with sustainable townships, and turning it into a metropolitan hub?


Our primary strength is our heritage, with ancient cities attracting many. We have Ayodhya and Kashi. Our plan is to build upon this, provide urban areas, and facilitate investment flow. We have metropolitan cities like Lucknow, Kanpur, and Agra. With the increasing population, we aim to improve the quality of living. Urban transport, like metro expansion, is a focus. Metro projects like Lucknow Metro and Agra Metro are poised to transform urban transport in the state. Our urban development department, through AMRUT 2.0, is enhancing civic amenities. We’re also focusing on connectivity, with expressways connecting major cities.

We have very good expressways that have enhanced connectivity between various metropolitan cities like Lucknow & Agra, Lucknow & Varanasi, and Delhi to Bundelkhand areas through Bundelkhand Expressway and Agra- Lucknow Expressway. So, a multi- faceted approach is underway in connecting areas. In rural areas, transformation is also occurring through the Jal Jeevan Mission; tap water connections have increased from 1 percent to 54 percent. So, the aim is not just to create new urban areas but also to provide urban facilities to rural regions.

There have been many MOUs signed during the Global Investor Summit. What are your thoughts on the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model?

Post Global Investor Summit, we received proposals worth around 1.8 lakh crore in the housing sector. About 70-80,000 crore worth of investments have materialised. These investments span various projects, from townships to hotels. Investment isn’t an isolated process; it’s integrated. Those investing in industries also need good urban areas for their employees. Therefore, our work in urban areas will also facilitate investment in industrial areas. We’re starting a new trend where development authorities provide industrial land which could previously only be done by industrial development authorities. For instance, the housing board is now floating an industrial sector in Mandola, Ghaziabad. This sector will house all non-polluting industries. Similarly, other development authorities have been asked to provide land for industrial purposes in their schemes. We’re also allocating a lot of land for industrial use in our master plans for 2031 and identifying new ring roads and highways as growth centres. A 500-meter zone on both sides of ring roads and highways will be marked as a highway zone, and we’re preparing a sectoral plan so that those areas can be developed as investment hubs.

Also Read | Towards Sustainable Growth in a World of Irreversible Urbanisation

As we aim to make UP a smart, livable, and affordable state, how do you plan to ensure it’s also eco-friendly?

Given climate change, the need for green spaces is vital. Our planning bylaws mandate that 15% of the master plan and layouts be reserved for green areas. We’re also developing city forests. Our Hon’ble Chief Minister had launched a mission to plant 35 crore trees this year, and we have already achieved this target on 15th August, way before the deadline. Further, wev are making sure that every city will have a city forest. Encroachments in green areas will be removed and restored. In new townships, we’re ensuring that green areas are not developed as part of the city, but cities are developed as part of green areas. So, there is a paradigm change in approach. For instance, in the Ayodhya Township that we are developing, we first planned the green and blue infrastructure before developing the plot and the city. We recognize the need for greener cities and are working towards it.

 

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