Friday, August 18 2006 16:53 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Around 48 per cent of the country's population will live in cities in the next 45 years, according to a projection made by the 2001 census.

As per an estimate of the National Institute of Urban Affairs, urbanisation in the country by 2026 would be 38.2 per cent, while 34.40 per cent of the population will live in cities by 2021, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.

It is to meet this challenge of growing urbanisation and deficiency in urban infrastructure that the Government of India has launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission in December 2005, Minister of State for Urban Development Ajay Maken said in a written reply.

The mission aims at creating economically productive, efficient, equitable and responsive cities in an integrated framework with focus on economic and social infrastructure and basic services to urban poor.

For cities not covered under the mission, the Government has launched another scheme known as urban infrastructure development scheme for small and medium towns.

In a separate reply on the rising demands of housing in the country, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja said the 10th plan had estimated that 22.44 million dwelling units would be required to be augmented during the plan period.

"In order to facilitate construction of adequate housing, particularly for economically weaker sections and low income groups, the government launched two million housing programmes in 1998-99," she said.