Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on Friday that the growth of Varanasi may serve as a blueprint for the entire country, claiming that the city’s development has been done in a traditional manner, setting an example of how local talents and goods can become a city’s identity.

“I am thankful to the Ministry of Urban Affairs and the government of Uttar Pradesh for choosing my constituency Kashi for this wonderful programme. Varanasi’s development can become a roadmap for the entire country. The majority of our cities are traditional cities. Their development has also been in a traditional manner. We can learn from such places about how local skills and products can be the identity of that city,” Modi said addressing the inauguration of the All India Mayors’ Conference.

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The Prime Minister emphasised the need for citizen participation in the overall development of cities and said, “The more public participation we witness, the better it will be for the city. For instance, can NCC cadets take care of all statues of Indian heroes in their respective cities? We can also enlighten our cadets about their heroics. Mayors can ensure this during their tenure.”

The Prime Minister advised residents to utilise LED lights to reduce their electricity expenses significantly, and he urged the mayors in attendance to guarantee that every street and corner of their city was properly lit.

“You should decide that every street in my city should have every bulb, LED. With this, the electricity bill of the Municipality, Municipal Corporation will be reduced significantly and the lighting will also improve. In this way, LED bulbs should be available in every house of your city, it will reduce the electricity bill in middle-class houses,” he said.

He also emphasised the need for empowering micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and developing local industries by creating the necessary climate for them to thrive.

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He said, “We need to focus on how we can empower our MSMEs, development of local industries and the right environment for businesses to flourish. Mayors can also contribute significantly to PM SVANidhi Yojana, helping street vendors with micro-finances.”

PM Modi remarked that more resources should be made available to the specially abled, saying, “Keeping in view the persons with disabilities in cities, every new building, new road, or other construction work should follow the provisions of Accessible India Campaign. It is important to keep the sufferings of the handicapped in mind while making your plans.”

“All the mayors should pledge that next time your city should not lag behind in terms of cleanliness. We are already recognizing those states which are topping in terms of cleanliness but we will also honour those who are putting in all their efforts to perform their best. We should also take into account those states which are not at all performing on this parameters and advertise these non-performing states so that public pressure forces them to put in efforts,” he added.

The Uttar Pradesh Department of Urban Development is hosting the All India Mayors’ Conference in Varanasi. The meeting will bring together mayors from all over the United States.

Hardeep Puri, the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, participated in the event via video conferencing, while Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was there in person.