‘Sustainable economic progress through urban management’

Kathmandu: Minister for Urban Development, Dhan Bahadur Budha, has said sustainable economic and social progress could be achieved through urban management. The urban development programme was expanded to 132 municipalities in a bid to develop sustainable, inclusive and beautiful city, Minister Budha reminded while responding to the queries the lawmakers raised on his ministry issues in the appropriation bill. He shared that infrastructure building was continued at 27 places for establishing new cities across the country. The Minister, however, said development of integrated settlement could not achieve success as per expectation because it was related to people's emotion and livelihood. The ministry was mulling relocation of the settlements at risk, but the people's views were reverse, he added. The budget was allocated to establish a strong coordination among the federal, province and local levels for the relocation of settlements which are at imminent risk. Even the infrastructures could be set up, he added. According to the Minister, more than 42,000 houses were built under the People's Housing Programme which is enforced by the province governments. The cost spent on it was some Rs 18 billion. Similarly, under the Safe Citizen Housing Programme, 80,000 residential houses got new roofs of corrugated zinc sheet so far, which cost Rs 7 billion. Source: National News Agency RSS