Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the BJP mayors to plan for the holistic development of cities on Tuesday, September 19th, at the mayor’s conference, saying that they should not think only about winning elections ‘cause cities cannot be developed in that manner.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was addressing after virtually inaugurating a convention of mayors of BJP-controlled cities that was taking place in Gujarat’s capital Gandhinagar.
“The elected representatives should not think just in terms of winning elections. You cannot develop your city with an election-centric approach. Many times, decisions which could prove beneficial for the cities are not taken just out of the fear that such decisions can cause election loss,” the PM remarked at the inaugural session of the conference.
He advised the mayors to concentrate on urban planning, the growth of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, and the construction of satellite towns to reduce the burden on large cities.
He also said the Metro train network in various cities of India was less than 250 kilometres in 2014 and now has increased to over 750 km, while work is going on for another 1,000 km.
The PM also highlighted the importance of encouraging more people to help maintain public spaces like gardens.
He also emphasised the need for “beautification of cities,” which might be accomplished by holding contests among wards to see which one is prettier and cleaner than the others.
The mayors should consider creating a “city museum” to highlight the culture, history, and distinctive features of their cities, the prime minister advised.
Old structures collapsing and buildings catching fire in cities are serious problems. He said rules must be followed to prevent this.
