Andhra Pradesh pushes PPP-led urban projects, asks ULBs for bankable proposals

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective.

First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming.

Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day.

Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers

Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there

The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features.

MA&UD Minister P. Narayana and HUDCO Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Kulshrestha during a capacity-building workshop for Andhra Pradesh ULBs on preparation of bankable urban projects, in Vijayawada on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: K.V.S. Giri

The State government is according top priority to bridging infrastructure gaps in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), particularly in drinking water supply, sewerage, storm water drainage, roads, sanitation, solid waste management and public amenities, Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) P. Narayana said.

Addressing a two-day capacity-building workshop on the preparation of bankable urban projects in Vijayawada on Tuesday, the Minister said urban infrastructure development would be taken up in mission mode through a combination of government support, the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF), Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), assistance from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO), institutional finance and municipal revenues.

MAUD Principal Secretary S. Suresh Kumar said the workshop was organised for 36 selected ULBs, including Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Rajahmundry, Tirupati, Nellore and Guntur, which have projects with the potential to be developed through UCF, PPP, pooled finance, institutional borrowing and municipal bonds.

He observed that while citizens expect reliable drinking water supply, quality roads, efficient drainage and other civic services, there remains a significant gap between public expectations and the infrastructure available on the ground.

It is in this context that the PPP model assumes greater importance, Mr. Suresh Kumar said. He noted that the department has already developed a pipeline of 56 PPP projects with an estimated investment of ₹23,801.21 crore. Clarifying concerns over private participation, he said PPP should not be misconstrued as privatisation and urged municipal officials to convey this message to the public.

During the workshop, ULBs were advised t