Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 26 Jun: The Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd (HUDCO), in collaboration with the Urban Development Department, Government of Uttarakhand, successfully organised a one-day Capacity Building Workshop on the theme “Bankable Urban Infrastructure and Mobilization of Funds under Urban Challenge Fund” in Dehradun on Thursday.
The workshop witnessed active participation from Municipal Commissioners and senior officials of the Urban Development Department representing various Urban Local Bodies across the State.
Addressing the gathering, Vinod Giri Goswami, Director, Urban Development Directorate, Uttarakhand, emphasised the importance of developing integrated and bankable urban infrastructure projects to effectively leverage the opportunities available under the Urban Challenge Fund. He urged Municipal Commissioners and senior officials to utilise the knowledge and insights gained during the workshop for preparing high-quality projects aligned with the developmental priorities of the State.
The workshop featured technical presentations by distinguished experts and practitioners in the field of urban infrastructure and finance. Dr RK Singh, General Manager (Projects), HUDCO, delivered a presentation on “UiWIN as Facilitator for UCF”, highlighting HUDCO’s Urban Invest Window (UiWIN) initiative and its role in enabling project preparation and financing support under the Urban Challenge Fund.
Vikash Chandra, Director, Deloitte, shared insights on innovative urban financing models aligned with Urban Challenge Fund guidelines and presented various financing structures that can be adopted by Urban Local Bodies. Alok Shiromany, Urban Finance Expert, elaborated on the urban infrastructure financing landscape and municipal finance ecosystem, with special emphasis on financing challenges and opportunities in hilly states. Rajeev Chaddha, PPP Expert, discussed Public-Private Partnership strategies and project structuring approaches supported by practical case studies.
Ravi Pandey from the Urban Development Department, Government of Uttarakhand, delivered a session on “Conceptualisation of Projects for Uttarakhand State”. He emphasised the importance of identifying region-specific urban infrastructure needs and developing integrated, outcome-oriented projects that address local challenges while aligning with the objectives of the Urban Challenge Fund. He encouraged Urban Local Bodies to adopt a strategic and long-term approach towards project development and urban transformation.
The workshop also included an interactive session on “From Concept to UCF Readiness: A Project Preparation Roadmap,” during which State Government officials engaged with participants and addressed queries related to project identification, preparation, financing and implementation under the Urban Challenge Fund framework.
Sanjay Bhargav, Regional Chief, HUDCO Dehradun, Abhijeet Sarkar, Deputy General Manager (Projects), HUDCO Dehradun, officials from HUDCO Corporate Office and the team from HUDCO Dehradun Regional Office also attended the workshop and contributed towards its successful planning, coordination and smooth execution.
The workshop concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Sanjay Bhargav, Regional Chief, HUDCO Dehradun. He expressed gratitude to all distinguished speakers, participating officials, representatives of Urban Local Bodies, HUDCO Corporate Office, the Urban Development Department, Government of Uttarakhand and partner organisations for their valuable contributions towards the success of the workshop.
Bhargav expressed confidence that the deliberations and knowledge-sharing during the workshop would catalyse the development of high-quality and financially viable urban infrastructure projects across Uttarakhand and contribute significantly to the State’s sustainable urban transformation.
