Things You Should Know About The Heritage City Development And Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY)
The Ministry of Urban Development, launched the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme on January 21, 2015, in order to preserve the character of 12 heritage cities. The duration of the HRIDAY scheme will be 27 months, ending in March 2017. The government will provide Rs 500 crore to the 12 cities which the government identified. Of this, projects worth Rs 350 crore have been approved. But there has been slow progress in the HRIDAY scheme for holistic development of 12 heritage cities. The urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu and his core team of officials initiated a nationwide outreach to examine the roadblocks in operation of the scheme.
The HRIDAY scheme seeks to promote sustainable development of heritage cities, focusing on maintenance of monuments, temples, etc. The scheme will also focus on development of the entire ecosystem. The main purpose of the scheme is to revive the soul of heritage cities. It should reflect each city's unique character by encouraging aesthetically attractive, reachable, informative & protected atmosphere. The scheme's focus will be on development of sanitation, security, road, public transport and retaining the city's cultural identity.
The HRIDAY scheme is being implemented in 12 heritage cities namely, Ajmer, Amaravati, Amritsar, Badami, Dwarka, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Puri, Varanasi, Velankanni and Warangal. These cities will be revitalised and developed. The scheme will be funded entirely by the Indian government, with the main objective to create infrastructure and provide facilities around heritage sites to attract more and more tourists. The scheme would be implemented in a mission mode. Based on the population and size, each heritage city has been granted a certain amount of funds.
Funds allocated to 12 heritage cities in India are listed below:
Cities | Amount (in crores) |
Ajmer (Rajasthan) | 40.04 |
Amravati (Andhra Pradesh) | 22.26 |
Amritsar (Punjab) | 69.31 |
Badami (Karnataka) | 22.26 |
Dwaraka (Gujarat) | 22.26 |
Gaya (Bihar) | 40.04 |
Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) | 23.04 |
Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) | 40.04 |
Puri (Orissa) | 22.54 |
Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) | 89.31 |
Velankanni (Tamil Nadu) | 22.26 |
Warangal (Telengana) | 40.54 |
What is HRIDAY important?
In the past, renovation of heritage buildings were taken up in an isolated manner. But development of heritage buildings should fit in with the overall development of the region. Development of a heritage city is not just about the development and conservation of a few monuments, but about development of the entire city. It is about planning, cleanliness, security, basic services, quality of life, livelihood and the economy. These sites will be technologically advanced too. CCTV cameras and Wi-Fi access will be provided in heritage sites.
What are the main objectives of the scheme?
- To bring together urban planning, overall economic growth and the preservation of heritage sites.
- Improve connectivity and access to tourists.
- Enhancement in a unified manner, with the primary focus on sanitation, safety, security, accessibility and livelihood.