The HRIDAY scheme is a central government scheme launched in 2015 to preserve the heritage of cities in India. It focuses on the holistic development of 12 identified heritage cities. The objectives are to improve infrastructure, services, and promote economic development linked to the cities' cultural heritage. Key components include infrastructure development, skills training, improving access to cultural sites, and public-private partnerships. The National Institute of Urban Affairs provides program management and cities develop heritage management plans and projects for funding. The goal is to improve citizens' quality of life while promoting sustainable tourism linked to urban heritage conservation.

1. HRIDAY Scheme
The National Heritage City Development and
Augmentation Yojana
Submitted by Sudas. D, Roll #11

2. HRIDAY Scheme | Introduction
• The National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) is a
central sector scheme of the Government of India. The HRIDAY scheme was
launched on 21 January 2015 to bring together economic growth, urban planning
and heritage conservation in an inclusive manner. It was launched to preserve the
heritage of cities.
• The Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) launched the HRIDAY scheme with a
focus on the holistic development of identified cities classified as heritage cities. It
seeks to revitalise and preserve the soul of the heritage cities for reflecting their
unique character and encourage an aesthetically accessible, informative, appealing
and secured environment.
• The HRIDAY scheme supports the development of civic infrastructure projects that
include revitalising urban infrastructure for areas around the heritage cities’ religious,
heritage, tourism, and cultural assets. These initiatives include the development of
sanitation, water supply, drainage, approach roads, waste management, street
lights, footpaths, electricity wiring, landscaping, tourist conveniences and citizen
services.

3. HRIDAY Scheme | Objectives
The main objective of the HRIDAY scheme is to preserve the character and soul of the heritage cities and
provide an inclusive heritage linked urban development by exploring different avenues by involving the
private sector. Some of the specific objectives of the HRIDAY scheme are as follows:
• Development, planning and implementation of heritage sensitive infrastructure
• Infrastructure provisioning and service delivery in the historic cities core areas
• Revitalise and preserve heritage where the tourists can connect directly with the cities unique character
• Document and develop a heritage asset inventory of the cities – cultural, living, natural and built
heritage as a basis for growth, urban planning, service provision and delivery
• Enhancement and implementation of basic services delivery with a focus on sanitation services like
toilets, public conveniences, street lights, water taps with the usage latest technologies in improving
amenities/tourist facilities
• Enhancement of local capacity for inclusive heritage-based industry
• Create effective linkages between cultural facilities, tourism, conservation of built and natural heritage
• Urban heritage maintenance and adaptive rehabilitation, including appropriate technology for historic
building retrofitting
• Manage and establish effective Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for adaptive urban rehabilitation

4. HRIDAY Scheme | Components
The HRIDAY scheme broadly focuses on four theme areas for revitalising and
reviving the soul of the heritage cities, which are:
• Physical infrastructure
• Institutional infrastructure
• Economic infrastructure
• Social infrastructure
The indicative list of HRIDAY components are as follows:
• Heritage mapping and documentation leading to the heritage management
plan
• Heritage revitalisation linked to service provision
• City knowledge/information skill development and management

5. HRIDAY Scheme | Coverage and Scope
The HRIDAY scheme will focus on the development of the following twelve
heritage cities:
• Amravati
• Ajmer
• Badami
• Amritsar
• Gaya
• Dwarka
• Mathura
• Kanchipuram
• Varanasi
• Puri
• Warangal
• Velankanni

6. HRIDAY Scheme | Implementation
• The HRIDAY scheme is a central sector scheme with 100% funding from the Central
Government. The heritage cities need to prepare a heritage management plan and develop
Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for identified projects to avail assistance under the HRIDAY
scheme.
• The National Mission Directorate or The City Mission Directorate through Public Works
Organisation (PWO), Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), Central Public Sector Unit (CPSU),
State parastatal or Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) of repute may develop the
Heritage Management Plan (HMP) and DPRs.
• The PWOs, SPVs, CPSUs, State parastatal or NGO’s of repute will execute the projects. The
executing agencies by MoUD will allocate funds on the recommendation of the Mission
Directorate. The HRIDAY heritage cities project duration is four years, from December 2014
to 31 March 2019.
• The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) is designated as the national project
management unit for the HRIDAY Scheme and will function as a secretariat for the Mission
Directorate. The City Project Management Unit (PMU) will be procured by the National
Mission Directorate and will function as a secretariat to the City Mission Directorate. The
HRIDAY scheme completed four years in 2019 with a funds outlay of Rs.6,85,758 crore.

7. HRIDAY Scheme | Implementation

8. HRIDAY Scheme | Funding
HRIDAY is a central sector scheme, where 100% funding will be provided by Government of
India. INR 500 Crores have been allocated to the scheme, under the following heads:
Budget Components Allocation (%) Funds Allocated (₹ Crore)
Project Implementation 85 400+25
City PMU Establishment 3 15
Administrative and Operating
Expenses
1 5
Information, Education and
Communication
4 20
DPRs and HMP preparation 4 20
Capacity Development 3 15

9. HRIDAY Scheme | Funding
The scheme would be implemented in a mission mode. Each city has been granted a specific
amount of fund, based on its population and size. The funding is as follows
City State Funds (₹ Crore)
Ajmer Rajasthan 40.04
Amaravathi Andhra Pradesh 22.26
Anritsar Punjab 69.31
Badami Karnataka 22.26
Dwarka Gujarat 22.26
Gaya Bihar 40.04
Kanchipuram Tamil Nadu 23.04
Mathura Uttar Pradesh 40.04
Puri Odisha 22.54
Varnasi Uttar Pradesh 89.31
Velankanni Tamil Nadu 22.26
Warangal Telangana 40.54

10. HRIDAY Scheme | Strategy
• It is a central sector scheme with 100 percent funding coming from Central Government.
• Cities will be required to prepare Heritage Management Plan for the city and develop DPRs
for identified projects for availing assistance under the scheme.
• The HMP and DPRs may be developed by the National Mission Directorate / City Mission
Directorate through PWOs/SPVs/CPSUs/State Para-statals/ NGO’s of repute.
• The projects will be executed by PWOs/SPVs/CPSUs/State Para-statals/ NGO’s of repute
and fund will be allocated to Executing agencies by MoUD on the recommendation of
Mission Directorate.
• The project duration is four years from December 2014.
• NIUA is designated as National Project Management Unit for HRIDAY Scheme and will
function as a secretariat for Mission Directorate.
• City PMU will be procured by National Mission Directorate and will function as secretariat to
City Mission Directorate

11. HRIDAY Scheme | Key Responsibilities
HNEC will provide overall sanction, approval, guidance and advisory role to the scheme.
Following would be its broad roles and responsibilities:
• Enunciate the vision and chalk out a road map and key objectives of the scheme. HNEC will
also provide a platform for exchange of ideas and other objectives as notified.
• Oversee all operations, steer, and review and monitor the overall performance of the
scheme. It will also offer specific guidance from time to time.
• Provide an enabling framework and review progress against time goals, will pursue
sanctions, and will ensure smooth flow of funds for implementation.
• To ensure that no duplication of sanctioning of project/ works/activities/ under HRIDAY and
under different schemes of GOI.
• Recommend mid-course correction in the implementation tools as & when required.
• Undertake quarterly review of activities of the scheme including budget, implementation,
preparation of heritage plans and co-ordination with other missions/ schemes and activities
of various ministries.
• Oversight and review of proposed/on-going projects

12. HRIDAY Scheme | Features
Creating Work Opportunities and Market Potential for Developing Cultural Industries Material
arts have an opportunity to scale through interaction with a larger market. Performing arts, crafts
and textile traditions which have the potential for generating wealth and employment need
focused support. Some of the ways for achieving this goal could include:
• Assessing the economic, social and cultural conditions of potential beneficiary communities
including their social status, gender position, education, physical and environmental
conditions
• Promoting creativity pertaining to intangible cultural heritage, fostering its enjoyment by
organising public events, fairs and festivals, instituting and giving awards to master
craftspersons, and encouraging research and skill development
• Building capacities for self-employment/ entrepreneurship
• Assessing opportunities and market potential for developing cultural industries and
identifying support and safeguarding needs for sustenance of heritage

13. HRIDAY Scheme | Features
• Creating heritage ‘clusters’ on the basis of their significance, potential for socio- economic
development, potential for engaging private sector in culture, tourism and development,
interface with nature and other parameters
• Linking with promoters, patrons and support institutions (both government and non-
government)
• Creating cultural itineraries for theme-based tourism, e.g. faith-oriented visits, medicinal or
architectural experiences, heritage walks
• Ensuring the intellectual property rights of heritage specialists are protected

14. HRIDAY Scheme | Challenges & Priorities
• Disaster risk reduction for historic cities and urban areas presents us with some unique
challenges, which are briefly elaborated below:
• How can we reduce disaster vulnerability of historic cities and urban areas, while retaining
their tangible and intangible heritage values that are embedded in their morphology, rituals
and community structures?
• This is indeed a challenge for historic areas since we can not simply widen the roads to
improve accessibility during emergency situations. How can we integrate heritage needs in
the existing urban planning and management systems?
• Urban heritage issues cannot be seen in isolation since they are inherently linked to various
sectors of urban management such as land use, transportation, infrastructure, environment
etc.
• The challenge is how to address heritage aspects in various sectors, while recognizing
heritage as an important sector itself. Local communities and their urban social structure are
inherent part of historic cities and urban areas.

15. HRIDAY Scheme | Challenges & Priorities
• The challenge is how to engage them effectively for sustainable disaster reduction initiatives.
A related challenge is the appropriate scale/ level for their engagement. For example,
‘Disaster Imagination Game’ is a very useful tool by which local communities and other
stakeholders can identify all the risks in their surroundings and can devise effective
mitigation measures through discussions.
• Many important heritage sites and monuments are located within historic cities/urban areas.
Therefore an important challenge is how to protect these sites during emergency situations
both in terms of evacuation of trapped inhabitants and visitors as well as access for rescue
and relief.
• Last but not the least, is the challenge for recovering traditional knowledge systems in urban
planning and management and identifying their potential role in disaster risk reduction.

16. HRIDAY Scheme | Future Challenges
• The capacity of local governments to undertake multisector inter-disciplinary projects has
limitations.
• The Project Monitoring and Supervision Unit housed in the City Mission Directorate (which is
housed in the local government) do not have multi-disciplinary teams.
• PMSU clearly needs community development specialist, urban designer/ architect,
conservation architect, environment planner/ landscape architects, educationists (supported
by engineers).
• In the current form the team is of engineers who find it a challenge to comprehend several of
the project components. The team at the local government must mirror the skills that go into
the making of the city HRIDAY Plan.
• This is necessary to ensure that the assessment and the recommendations made in the City
HRIDAY plan is adequately understood and translated into action. The plan must be carefully
considered while developing infrastructure projects for the city.

17. HRIDAY Scheme | Urban area usage
• The Centre’s Hriday scheme has been literally dragging on for the last five year. Of the 12
cities identified under the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana, launched in
January 2015, only Ajmer has fully received the sanctioned amount. Some of the cities are
not even fully ready with their detailed project reports, almost five years after the launch of
the scheme.
• The government had identified Ajmer, Amaravati, Amritsar, Badami, Dwarka, Gaya,
Kanchipuram, Mathura, Puri, Varanasi, Velankanni and Warangal for the Hriday scheme with
a total outlay of Rs 500 crore with a focus on holistic development of heritage cities.
• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has approved 77 projects amounting to Rs 418.06
crore for all the 12 cities. The projects include development of water supply, sanitation,
drainage, waste management, approach roads, footpaths, street lights, tourist conveniences,
electricity wiring, landscaping and such citizen services.
• Of the 12 cities, only Ajmer has received 100 per cent of the sanctioned amount, as per the
data from the ministry. Velankanni has received just 5 per cent of the sanctioned amount,
while its readiness with detailed project reports (DPR) is just 10 per cent.

18. HRIDAY Scheme | Urban area usage
• Similarly, Amritsar’s DPRs are just 8 per cent ready and it has received 8 per cent amount.
Same is the case with Puri. Gaya has 15 per cent readiness in terms of DPRs and has
received 15 per cent of the sanctioned amount. Dwaraka and Warangal too are lagging
behind with respect to DPRs and getting funds.
• Among some of the cities, which have made progress with the projects, Amravati has
received 93 per cent of the sanctioned amount, Badami 90 per cent, Kancheepuram 85 per
cent and Varanasi 85 per cent.
• Originally the scheme was to be implemented within a timeframe of 4 years 3 months or up
to March, 2019. The ministry, however, is confident that the remaining projects will be
completed by December, 2019.
• “Central, state and local governments have a collective responsibility to ensure that reports
are submitted, sanctioned amount disbursed and projects are completed on time. While the
state and local governments as well as other stakeholders have to submit their projects, the
Centre also has to play a supervisory role to ensure that the projects are completed on time,”
said Iqbal Mulla, Chief Council, Global Tourism Council Trust.
• The industry is of the view that the government should ensure faster implementation of its
schemes and projects.

19. HRIDAY Scheme | Outcome
The HRIDAY Scheme has been formed with very clear ideas of outcomes. Some of these are
mentioned below.
• Providing a clean and sanitized environment that also includes safety and convenience to
the citizens and the tourists.
• Conserving and rejuvenating the heritage sites and the monuments.
• Encourage the locals for participating in boosting tourism and the employment opportunities
thereof.
• To boost or promote tourism by providing excellence in the services offered which will result
in an increased inflow of tourists with the extended stay.
• To provide social safety and reducing the crime rate in the tourist sites.
• Achievement of overall improvement in the local economy and the general standard of living
of the locals.
• HRIDAY completed 4 years in January 2019 and has an outlay of funds pegged at
Rs.685758 crore. The initially planned outlay was Rs 500 crore. Out of this project’s worth
about Rs 422 crore have been approved, and projects worth Rs 140. 14 crores have been
completed.

20. HRIDAY Scheme | Advantages
• The heritage cities are one of the many reasons why every year people from all over India
visit the country. Under this scheme the cities will get more exposure and better quality of
tourism.
• The development of infrastructure and other amenities of these 12 cities will enhance the
quality of life of the inhabitants of the cities. Not only the travellers but also the citizens of the
cities will get a better life.
• The augmentation project will bring about more and more global tourists in India and that will
lead to a better tourism system in India.

21. HRIDAY Scheme | Implementation

22. HRIDAY Scheme | Conclusion
• The Government of India chose to bring about an integrated, inclusive, and
sustainable development in heritage cities in order to capitalise on the
industry’s limitless potential. To that end, the HRIDAY plan was introduced.
• This program aims to preserve and develop historic cities while preserving
their aesthetic value.
• After its completion, it improved the basic infrastructure of a few heritage
cities.

23. Thank You
- Submitted by Sudas. D, Roll #11