Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on December 17 inaugurated the All India Mayors’ Conference today via video conference. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister Shri Hardeep Singh Puri were among those present on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister referred to the recent developments in the ancient city of Varanasi. He recalled his statement that the development of Kashi can be a roadmap for the entire country. The Prime Minister said most of the cities in our country are traditional cities, developed in a traditional way. In this era of modernization, the antiquity of these cities is equally important. He remarked that these cities can teach us how to preserve heritage and local skills. The Prime Minister insisted that destroying the existing structures is not the way but emphasis should be on rejuvenation and preservation. This should be done in accordance with the requirements of modern times.

The Prime Minister called for healthy competition between the cities for cleanliness and wondered if there can be new categories for recognizing the cities that are making the best efforts to achieve cleanliness along with the best performing cities. He also insisted on the beautification of cities along with cleanliness. He asked the mayor to create a sense of healthy competition between the wards of their cities in this regard.

He asked the Mayors to look for ways of creating wealth from waste. “Our city should be clean and healthy too, this should be our effort”, he said
He asked Mayors to ensure that LED bulbs are used widely in the streetlights and homes of their cities. He asked them to take this up in a mission mode. He said we should always think of using existing schemes for new uses and taking them forward. He asked Mayors to get in touch with NCC units of the city and create groups to clean statues of the cities and organise speeches on the personalities in the spirit of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. Similarly, Mayors can identify a place in their city and create a monument in sync with the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav through PPP mode.

Referring to the ‘One District One Product’ programme, the Prime Minister asked Mayors to push for a unique identity of their cities promoted by some unique product or place in the city. The Prime Minister also asked them to develop people-friendly thinking with regard to various aspects of urban life. He said we need to promote the use of public transport. He asked Mayors to see that every facility in their city is divyang friendly as per Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan- Accessible India Campaign.

He said that “our cities are the driving force of our economy. We should make the city a hub of a vibrant economy”. He asked them to create a holistic system where all facilities develop simultaneously to create an ecosystem that invites and promotes economic activity.