Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal today launched a new set of initiatives under PRAGATI 50 to develop a Model City Framework for 50 cities of economic, cultural, heritage, pilgrimage, tourism and administrative significance. Speaking at the launch ceremony, the Union Minister emphasized that these 50 cities across 24 states will emerge as clean role‑model cities for the rest of the country. He said that the government has ensured the inclusion of major cities, cities of cultural importance, high tourism destinations and economic centres. The initiative aims to drive visible improvements in urban cleanliness, solid waste management, used water management, sanitation, and citizen participation through a structured framework of monitoring and review within a defined timeframe.
In collaboration with the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute and the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, the Swachh Bharat Test Bed and Innovation Centre at Durgapur were also launched.
As part of Swachhata Hi Seva 2026, Union Minister Manohar Lal also inaugurated a Reduce Reuse and Recycle (RRR) Centre at Sankalp Bhawan, New Delhi. The initiative will promote sustainable consumption, reuse, resource recovery and circularity in government workplaces.
