CH NEWS BENGALURU Urban Development Minister Dr Yatindra Siddaramaiah on Tuesday welcomed the selection of Bengaluru and Mysuru under the Centre’s PRAGATI 50 initiative, aimed at developing 50 selected cities across the country as model clean cities. The minister participated in a video conference chaired by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to discuss measures to strengthen new programmes under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0. Welcoming the launch of PRAGATI 50, Siddaramaiah congratulated the two Karnataka cities for being chosen for the initiative. He also discussed various urban development projects in the state and key demands with the Union minister. Siddaramaiah said financial assistance from the Centre was essential for the successful implementation of major urban development projects, including those aimed at developing model cities. He urged Khattar to ensure the early release of pending central funds. “Central funds are essential for the successful implementation of major urban development projects. I have requested the Centre to release the pending funds at the earliest,” Dr Yatindra Siddaramaiah said. The minister also sought an appointment with Khattar to discuss additional funding for Karnataka’s urban development projects and other development-related issues. Khattar assured him that a meeting would be scheduled soon to discuss the state’s demands and development priorities. The high-level video conference was attended by urban development ministers from various states and senior officials of the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.