Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal has called upon the young civil servants to think innovatively and adopt out-of-the-box approaches to tackle critical challenges like urban transportation. The minister said this while chairing a session on strengthening urban transport at the 17th Civil Services Day in New Delhi. The minister called upon urban planners and policymakers to design cities where residential colonies are located near workplaces, promoting the walk-to-work culture. He said the same principle should guide the development of government residential areas, enabling more efficient, liveable, and sustainable urban environments.

Encouraging young officers to be transformative, solution-driven leaders, Mr Manohar Lal highlighted the achievements in urban transport and envisioned Indian cities as engines of growth and symbols of sustainability. He urged civil servants to champion inclusive urban planning and model governance to realise the vision of a developed India.