Panaji, 12 May 2025 — In a significant push towards strengthening urban infrastructure in Goa, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Manohar Lal, during his visit to Panaji today, held a comprehensive review meeting with Goa Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant and State Minister Shri Vishwajit Rane. The discussion focused on evaluating the progress of key urban development schemes and identifying areas that need urgent attention and support.
The meeting reflected the Centre’s continued commitment to assist the states in overcoming urban challenges. A major highlight was the proposal by the Goa government seeking special financial support for the ambitious 24×7 Drink from Tap (DfT) water supply project. With an estimated cost of ₹652.61 crore, the initiative aims to improve water infrastructure, including source augmentation, rehabilitation of the existing network, and integration of smart technologies like IoT and SCADA for efficient monitoring. Union Minister Manohar Lal showed a positive outlook and agreed to consider the proposal under the AMRUT 2.0 scheme, offering a hopeful prospect for residents seeking uninterrupted access to clean drinking water.
Given Goa’s unique challenges, especially the stress placed on civic infrastructure by a high volume of tourists year-round, Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant made a strong case for the state to be treated as a special category under AMRUT 2.0 and SBM-U 2.0. Acknowledging the concern, the Union Minister directed officials to examine policy-level adjustments for states with heavy tourism-driven urban loads, reinforcing the spirit of cooperative federalism.
During the review, several flagship urban development programs were assessed, including AMRUT, Smart Cities Mission, PMAY-U, Swachh Bharat Mission, DAY-NULM, and PM SVANidhi. The Union Minister emphasized the importance of accelerating pending water supply connections, upgrading sanitation facilities, and ensuring the efficient functioning of solid waste management and sewer treatment infrastructure. He also encouraged the state to increase awareness about affordable housing schemes and ensure inclusive participation, particularly among women and street vendors.
He further instructed the state to submit proposals for the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme and underscored the need for forward-looking urban planning backed by strong public-private partnerships. With Goa’s growing urban footprint and its importance as a tourism hub, Shri Manohar Lal expressed optimism about the state’s future, provided the development initiatives are implemented strategically and inclusively.
The visit reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to work closely with state governments to address urban challenges, uplift infrastructure, and ultimately enhance the quality of life for citizens across the country.
