Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (December 17) said that the developments in Kashi can be taken as the roadmap for the development of the rest of the country. Modi said this during his address at the All India Mayors’ Conference held in Kashi (also called Varanasi) which was attended by 120 mayors from several states. Modi participated in the conference through video conferencing.
The conference based on the ‘New Urban India’ theme is organized at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay-Business Facilitation Center (DDUTFC) at Bada Lalpur. Mayors’ conference marks the beginning of a month-long celebration in Varanasi following the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor.
Varanasi was among the oldest city in the world which is now turning into a modern city, Modi said that the mayors’ conference in Kashi would play an important role in the growth of cities in India.
“I believe that all the mayors present here have left no stones unturned for the bright future and development of their cities. I was in Kashi recently and I had said that the development of Kashi can be the roadmap for the development of the rest of the country,” Modi said.
Modi said that most of the cities in India are traditional cities that developed in a traditional way. He outlined the need for careful planning to develop cities without destroying their old beauty.
He said that the old character of cities must be preserved while adapting to new things. He referred to the example of Varanasi, his home constituency that has not cast aside its ancient character despite being renovated on a modern line.
Modi discouraged the idea of demolition or reconstruction of the heritage buildings during the town planning. “Rather we need to rejuvenate them,” Modi asked mayors.
Modi floated the idea that people should celebrate the foundation day of their city so that they know its history, antiquity, and speciality. “We can learn from such places about how local skills and products can be the identity of that city and the cities must be a hub of a vibrant economy,” he said.
Modi urged mayors to pay special attention to the cleanliness of their cities and advised them to organize beauty competitions between the wards.