TFP Bureau, Raipur, August 24, 2026: Principal Secretary of the Urban Administration and Development Department Sonmoni Borah on Monday reviewed the progress and implementation of major urban development schemes, including the PM-eBus Sewa scheme, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) 1.0, Waste-to-Energy projects under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0 and works funded through the 15th Finance Commission.<\/p>\n
During a meeting with senior departmental officials at the Mantralaya, Borah stressed citizen convenience, comprehensive planning, timely execution, financial viability and long-term sustainability of the projects. He directed officials to undertake regular monitoring and ensure that targets are achieved within the prescribed timelines. SUDA CEO Sumit Agrawal was also present.<\/p>\n
Reviewing the PM-eBus Sewa scheme, Borah directed officials to prepare a comprehensive route plan for Raipur that maximises public convenience and improves connectivity across the city.<\/p>\n
He called for proposed routes to connect key tourist destinations, schools, colleges, hospitals and other important public locations. A detailed survey is to be undertaken to assess route feasibility, passenger demand and connectivity before finalising the network.<\/p>\n
The Principal Secretary also directed officials to identify bus-stop locations under the PPP model, with their placement determined primarily by passenger requirements and convenience. He called for reasonable fares to be fixed after considering the paying capacity of the general public.<\/p>\n
Emphasising the role of technology, Borah directed officials to prepare an action plan covering bus routes, stops, fleet availability and passenger amenities. The objective, he said, should be to provide safe, convenient and efficient public transport while making the e-bus system modern and citizen-centric.<\/p>\n
Borah directed officials to ensure completion of all houses under construction under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) 1.0 by the mission deadline of September 30, 2026.<\/p>\n
He called for a special drive with weekly targets based on the number of pending and under-construction houses in each urban local body. Construction should be taken up in \u201cmission mode\u201d, he said, with regular reviews to identify bottlenecks and accelerate work in slow-performing areas.<\/p>\n
District Collectors were directed to set clear targets for completion of the remaining houses and ensure continuous monitoring in coordination with urban local bodies. Technical, administrative and other obstacles affecting construction are to be identified and resolved promptly.<\/p>\n
Borah also stressed timely release of instalments in accordance with scheme guidelines and actual construction progress, ensuring that beneficiaries receive financial assistance without delay and construction momentum is maintained.<\/p>\n
The Principal Secretary also reviewed the proposed Waste-to-Energy projects under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0, including the identified clusters, their technical feasibility and financial implications.<\/p>\n
He described Waste-to-Energy projects as an important component of scientific solid waste management but stressed that their long-term financial sustainability must be assessed alongside technical feasibility.<\/p>\n
Officials were directed to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the potential financial liabilities for the state government and urban local bodies. Realistic estimates of the resources required for operation and other future requirements of the projects should also be prepared before proposals are taken forward.<\/p>\n
The meeting also examined the possibility of private-sector participation through the Public-Private Partnership model. Borah directed officials to assess the availability and interest of experienced private partners, their investment expectations and the responsibilities to be assigned to the government, urban local bodies and private entities.<\/p>\n
He stressed the need for a balanced financial and responsibility-sharing framework to ensure that the projects remain viable and sustainable over the long term. Officials were directed to finalise the proposal at the earliest for further action.<\/p>\n
Reviewing projects being implemented with 15th Finance Commission funds, Borah directed officials to ensure that the available resources are utilised through proper, long-term planning based on local requirements.<\/p>\n
He called for priority-based work plans after assessing the resources and infrastructure needs of individual urban local bodies.<\/p>\n
Particular emphasis was placed on systematic planning of road construction and upgradation. Borah said road projects should not be undertaken in a fragmented manner but should be planned keeping in view the overall infrastructure, future requirements, traffic load, connectivity and existing conditions of urban areas.<\/p>\n
He also called for saturation-based development of urban local bodies, with a comprehensive assessment of the availability of basic civic amenities in every area.<\/p>\n
Officials were directed to undertake gap analysis covering roads, drains, drinking water, street lighting and other essential urban infrastructure. Projects should then be prioritised on the basis of identified gaps, enabling more targeted, effective and result-oriented development across urban areas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Principal Secretary Sonmoni Borah calls for citizen-centric e-bus routes, completion of PMAY houses by September 30 and financially sustainable waste-to-energy projects<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9392,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[116,118,117],"tags":[1492],"class_list":["post-9391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-chhattishgarh","category-state","tag-urban-administration-and-development-department"],"yoast_head":"\n