AP, Odisha, MP are 3 best performing states in “Ease of Living Index”

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Andhra Pradesh (AP) has topped the charts among states in terms of “Ease of Living Index” rankings launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).  It was followed by Odisha and Madhya Pradesh (MP). The three States were awarded the three best performing States award under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) at the National Dissemination Workshop on Ease of Living Index, 2018, here on September 24, 2018.

While presenting the awards to the States, the Union Minister of State (I/C)) for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri said that the Ease of Living Index is a transformative initiative of the Ministry to help the cities assess their liveability vis-à-vis national and global benchmarks. He exuded confidence that the Ease of Living Index will encourage all cities to move towards an ‘outcome-based’ approach to urban planning and management and promote healthy competition among cities.

Addressing the participants, Puri said that this exercise marked a major milestone in India’s goal to promote evidence-based planning and action towards sustainable urbanisation.  “The ‘Ease of Living’ Index seeks to assist cities in undertaking a 360-degree assessment of their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats,” he added, according to a PIB release.

It was decided in June 2017 to rank 116 cities (all smart cities and million plus cities) based on the liveability parameters. The implementation of the assessment commenced formally on January 19, 2018.  The MoHUA released the first ever ‘Ease of Living Index’ covering 111 Indian cities on 13 August 13, 2018, which serves as a litmus test to help assess the progress made in cities through various initiatives. All cities were evaluated out of 100. The ‘physical’ pillar (infrastructure) was given the highest weightage of 45, while institutional (governance) and social were weighted 25 each. Economy was weighted 5.

Puri pointed out that Ease of Living framework comprised four pillars namely Institutional, Social, Economic and Physical which are further broken down into 78 indicators across 15 categories (governance, identity and culture, education, health, safety and security, economy, affordable housing, land use planning, public open spaces, transportation and mobility, assured water supply, waste-water management, solid waste management, power, and quality of environment).

“Another highlight of the Ease of Living assessment standards is its close linkage with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Of the 17 SDG goals, 8 goals are directly linked to India’s ease of living assessment framework with SDG 11,” he said. The Minister said that SDG 11 is aimed at making our cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable and is measured through a set of 30 indicators.

Elaborating on the importance of having a relook at the whole exercise undertaken which led to the final scores and ranking, Puri said, “ The assessment was launched at the national level with a National Orientation Workshop to orient city officials on assessment framework. It was followed by 33 state level workshops spread across all 26 states and Union Territories to introduce and explain the framework to all stakeholders. Over 1,500 officials participated across all workshops.”

The first round of Ease of Living covered 111 cities. Gurugram was subsequently included in the assessment.  Four cities of West Bengal – Howrah, New Town Kolkata, Kolkata and Durgapur did not participate and Naya Raipur of Chhattisgarh and Amravati of Andhra Pradesh did not fulfil the parameters as they are green-field cities.