Parliament Question: Urban development and central grants for Handwara Town

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4056 ANSWERED ON 30/03/2026 URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND CENTRAL GRANTS FOR HANDWARA TOWN 4056. SHRI CHOWDRY MOHAMMAD RAMZAN: Will the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs be pleased to state: (a) the reason for major urban infrastructure works in Handwara have seen a lack of administrative input; (b) the details of funds released and utilized under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for drainage and waste management in Handwara town over the last two years; and (c) the timeline for the completion of the indoor sports stadium in Handwara, a central project aimed at youth engagement that has faced multiple delays? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (SHRI TOKHAN SAHU) (a) to (c): Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation 2.0 (AMRUT 2.0) is launched in the year 2021 in all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)/ cities including Handwara, enabling the cities to become 'self-reliant' and 'water secure'. Providing universal coverage of sewerage and septage management in 500 AMRUT cities is one of the major focus areas of AMRUT 2.0. Rejuvenation of water bodies and development of green spaces and parks are other components of the mission. Under the Mission, States/ Union Territories (UTs) are empowered to select, appraise, prioritize and implement projects. Under AMRUT 2.0, the UT of Jammu and Kashmir has taken up 01 water supply project worth ₹7.61 crore and 01 water body rejuvenation project worth ₹0.33 crore in Handwara town. As reported by the State, the water body rejuvenation project has been completed and the water supply scheme is at implementation stage. Further, Central assistance under AMRUT 2.0 is allocated and released/ Mother Sanction issued to the States/ Union Territories and not project/ component-wise. During the last two year and current year total Central assistance to the tune of ₹100 crore has been released/ Mother Sanction issued to the UT for projects under AMRUT 2.0. The UT has informed that funds of ₹0.92 crore has been released to Handwara for water supply project during 2025-26. Under Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0) also the Central share of funds are released to the States/UTs an not to the cities/ towns. An amount of ₹1.08 crore and ₹11.82 crore has been released in last two years for the UT of Jammu & Kashmir under Used Water management (UWM) and Solid Waste Management (SWM). Indoor sports stadium is not an admissible component under AMRUT 2.0. However, the UT has informed that the indoor stadium at Handwara is already functional for various sports related activities. *****