Chandigarh, June 16 - Haryana Chief Minister Shri Naib Singh Saini said that apart from being the first citizens of their respective cities, they are also the charioteers of their development and progress. He said that the mayors bring the policies and schemes of the government to the ground, understand the expectations of the citizens and solve their problems. In the concept of local self-governance, the mayors are like a reed. Chief Minister Shri Saini was addressing the 115th meeting of the All India Mayors Executive Council organized in Panchkula today.

Cities are the engines of economic development, the hub of innovation-
The Chief Minister said that in Haryana, the mayors are directly elected by the people and have executive powers. This system creates a strong bridge between citizens and public representatives and makes the decision-making process economically accountable and effective. He said that today, when the country is moving towards the goal of a developed India under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the role of cities has become even more important. Cities are not just places of residence, but are engines of economic development, centers of innovation and confluences of cultural exchange.

Haryana is considering urbanization as an opportunity, not a challenge-
The Chief Minister said that today we consider urbanization as an opportunity, not a challenge. Our vision is that cities should become a confluence of ease of living and ease of doing business. We should not only make cities a structure of buildings and roads, but also make them alive, sensitive and self-reliant. He said that by the year 2047, about 900 million people of India will live in cities. This is not just a number, but a huge potential. Of new opportunities, new infrastructure and new lifestyle. We have to embrace this change with well-planned urbanization, digital integration and environmental protection.

Urban development in Haryana has gained momentum-
The Chief Minister said that in Haryana, an amount of Rs 1,693 crore was given to urban local bodies for development works in 2014-15, which has been increased to Rs 5,666 crore in 2025-26. Four Metropolitan Development Authorities have been formed and Faridabad and Karnal are being developed as smart cities. Under this, work is going on in Faridabad at a cost of Rs 930 crore and in Karnal at a cost of Rs 927 crore on 45 projects. He said that so far 2,147 illegal colonies have been regularized and development works are being done in newly authorized colonies at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore.

Major achievements in urban transport, housing and solid waste management-
The Chief Minister said that Rs 2,930 crore has been spent so far under the Amrint Mission. Out of the target of operating 375 electric buses, 50 buses have been operated in 9 cities and 450 buses will be purchased by 2026 under the Pradhan Mantri E-Bus Seva Yojana. He said that under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban, 21,431 houses have been built and 11,412 houses are under construction. Under the Mukhyamantri Shehri Awas Yojana, 15,256 families have been given plots of 30-30 square yards in 14 cities.
The Chief Minister said that Haryana has done commendable work in door-to-door garbage collection, community composting and solid waste management through biogas plants. For this, every process has been made simple and digital so that citizens can get urban services easily.

Appeal to mayors to brand cities-
The Chief Minister said that this meeting will prove to be a milestone in the direction of reviewing past experiences, discussing new challenges and strengthening the Mayoral Corporations. He appealed to all the mayors to brand their cities, give them a special identity and become participants in this mission. He expressed confidence that this meeting of the Council will end with meaningful discussions and new resolutions and all the representatives will become vehicles of positive change in their respective cities.

India's progress under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi-
The Chief Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, the country has made exceptional progress in the last 11 years. When the Prime Minister took oath in 2014, India's economy was at the 11th position. Today, India has established itself as the fourth largest economic power by 2025 and will become the third largest economic power by 2029. The resolve that Prime Minister Shri Modi ji has taken to make India a developed nation before 2047 will definitely be realized. The Chief Minister said that our government has worked to increase their reputation and the pace of development by conducting direct elections of Mayors and Chairman. In line with the spirit of Anthondeya, all mayors will have to work with greater responsibility so that the benefits of development plans reach the last person.

Appreciation and inspiration for Indore model-
The Chief Minister, while appreciating Indore's cleanliness ranking, said that the Mayor and Councillors should go to Indore and study the schemes and models there so that similar models can be implemented in the cities of Haryana. He appreciated the role of Mayors in the success of schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Swachh Bharat Mission and construction of toilets and said that the work of implementing these schemes on the ground is done by the Mayors.
Rajya Sabha MP Mr. Kartikeya Sharma, MLA from Kalka Mrs. Shakti Rani Sharma, Chairperson of All India Mayors Council Mrs. Madhuri Atul Patel, Organizing General Secretary of All India Mayors Council and former Minister of Madhya Pradesh Mr. Umashankar, Senior Vice President of All India Mayors Council and Mayor of Karnal Mrs. Renu Bal Gupta, Mayor of Panchkula Mr. Kulbhushan Goyal and Mayors of various states were present in this meeting.