The third regional meeting of Urban Development Ministers of North-Central States was held in Bhopal on December 20, 2025, under the chairmanship of Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal. The meeting marked another key milestone in the Government of India’s structured regional consultation process to accelerate urban transformation in alignment with the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.
Building on National and Regional Consultations
The regional dialogue builds on the national-level Urban Development Ministers’ meeting held on July 17, 2025 in New Delhi, and follows earlier regional meetings convened in Bengaluru (October 30, 2025) and Hyderabad (November 18, 2025). The Bhopal meeting focused on shared challenges, best practices and opportunities in urban development to chart a coordinated way forward for North-Central States.
Participation from States and Centre
The meeting was attended by Mohan Yadav, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh; Kailash Vijayvargiya; Pratima Bagri; Arun Sao; Jhabar Singh Kharra; Arvind Kumar Sharma; and Rakesh Rathore, along with senior officials from the participating State Governments and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
Hosted by MoHUA in collaboration with the Urban Development Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh, the meeting brought together ministers, Additional Chief Secretaries and Principal Secretaries from Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Viksit@2047: From Vision to Action
In his opening remarks, Shri Manohar Lal stated, “India will be Viksit@2047 when every household, village, city and state is Viksit and Atmanirbhar.” He emphasised the need for inclusive, outcomes-driven urbanisation that delivers tangible improvements in quality of life.
On the occasion, the Union Minister released the Swachh Survekshan 2025–26 toolkit and video-launched seven IT platforms of the Government of Madhya Pradesh, aimed at strengthening simple, convenient and citizen-centric service delivery.
Review of Flagship Urban Missions
The Union Minister undertook a comprehensive review of progress under major Central missions:
Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban (SBM-U):
States were urged to adopt dumpsites under the Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme (DRAP) with active political and administrative leadership. Emphasis was placed on time-bound implementation of Swachh Shehar Jodi (SSJ) action plans through strong coordination between mentor and mentee cities.
AMRUT:
Under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, the focus was on improving on-ground implementation, ensuring quality and sustainability of water and sanitation assets, and maximising reuse of treated wastewater. States were asked to accelerate execution and achieve saturation in tap water supply and sewerage coverage.
Housing for All:
The Minister emphasised completion of under-construction Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) houses and grounding of PMAY-2.0 projects. Ensuring occupancy of AHP houses and facilitating home loans for beneficiaries were highlighted. The Angikaar campaign will continue till March 2026 to strengthen convergence of benefits and public outreach.
Urban Transport:
Discussions covered the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme, metro network densification, and improving first- and last-mile connectivity to enhance urban mobility.
Collaborative Federal Approach
State Ministers appreciated MoHUA’s collaborative and consultative approach through regional meetings, noting that such platforms enable peer learning, shared solutions and faster reform implementation. Similar regional consultations will be held across other parts of the country to identify region-specific priorities and accelerate India’s urban transformation journey.
Metro Expansion Milestone
As part of the visit, Shri Manohar Lal, along with the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, flagged off a new metro line and undertook a metro ride from Subhash Nagar metro station to AIIMS metro station, reinforcing the Centre-State partnership in advancing sustainable urban transport.
Conclusion
The third regional meeting in Bhopal reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to cooperative federalism, mission-mode implementation and citizen-centric urban governance. By aligning flagship missions, leveraging digital tools and fostering State-Centre collaboration, the consultation set a clear roadmap for building Viksit, Atmanirbhar cities as the foundation of Viksit Bharat@2047.
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Source: PIB
