Centre splits MoHUA into capital, urban development departments

The Union government has split the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) into two separate departments – the department of capital development and the department of urban development – through an amendment to the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, according to a Gazette notification issued on Wednesday

The Union government has split the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) into two separate departments – the department of capital development and the department of urban development – through an amendment to the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, according to a Gazette notification issued on Wednesday.

The department of urban development will be responsible for the ministry’s broader urban policy portfolio.

Under the restructuring, the newly created department of capital development will oversee matters relating to the National Capital Region (NCR) and key central government infrastructure. Its mandate includes the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), government estates, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), the Delhi Master Plan, central government land in Delhi, NBCC, the Rajghat Samadhi Committee, and the National Capital Region Planning Board.

The department of urban development will be responsible for the ministry’s broader urban policy portfolio. This includes urban development, housing policy, urban transport planning, climate and climate adaptation, water supply and sanitation in urban areas, local governments, urban poverty alleviation, and flagship schemes such as the Urban Challenge Fund, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Swachh Bharat Mission, Housing for All-Urban and PM SVANidhi.

It will also oversee institutions and legislations including the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO), the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, and the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.

Katikithala Srinivas, a 1989 batch Gujarat cadre IAS officer, who was serving as secretary, ministry of housing and urban affairs, has been appointed secretary, ministry of development of north eastern region, while D Thara, a 1995 batch Gujarat cadre IAS officer, currently additional secretary in the ministry of housing and urban affairs, has been appointed secretary, department of capital development by operating a vacant secretary-level post.

Satendra Singh, a 1995 batch Jharkhand cadre IAS officer, currently additional secretary in the cabinet secretariat, has been appointed secretary, department of urban development.

In a separate change, the notification transfers the Department of Stationery and Printing, which handles official government publications and was earlier under MoHUA, to the Union ministry of information and broadcasting by inserting a new entry in the Allocation of Business Rules.

The notification, issued by the Cabinet Secretariat under Article 77(3) of the Constitution, states that the amended rules have come into force with immediate effect.