Sonmoni Borah Begins Urban Administration Stint With Marathon Review

Principal Secretary, Urban Administration and Development, Sonmoni Borah chairs a marathon review meeting at the Mantralaya in Nava Raipur on Thursday, August 20, 2026. He directed urban bodies to strengthen field monitoring, waste segregation and cleanliness and accelerate ongoing development projects-Photo primelookindia.com

New Principal Secretary orders daily ward inspections, stronger waste segregation and faster completion of 38 Nalanda complexes

Key Factors

• Municipal Commissioners and CMOs directed to undertake daily ward inspections with their teams
• Waste segregation at homes, markets and public places put high on the cleanliness agenda
• Officials told to physically inspect development projects instead of relying only on reports
• Construction of 38 Nalanda complexes to be accelerated, with facilities readied alongside civil works
• Tourism sites, public gardens, urban forestry and newly incorporated urban areas also brought under focus

Raipur: A day after assuming charge as Principal Secretary of Chhattisgarh’s Urban Administration and Development Department, Sonmoni Borah swung into action on Thursday August 20, 2026 , holding a marathon review meeting at the Mantralaya in Nava Raipur and setting out priorities ranging from cleaner cities and daily ward inspections to faster execution of housing and infrastructure projects.

Borah reviewed the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), AMRUT Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), Nalanda complexes and other infrastructure and departmental schemes, seeking details of progress against targets, field-level implementation and timelines for completing ongoing works.

The new Principal Secretary made field accountability a central theme of the meeting. Municipal Commissioners and Chief Municipal Officers were directed to visit wards every day along with Additional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Zonal Commissioners and other officials and share photographs of their inspections on the department’s WhatsApp group.

Borah said the department’s priority must be to ensure that citizens receive the actual benefits of government schemes on time. He called for regular monitoring, effective implementation on the ground and completion of works within prescribed deadlines.

Principal Secretary Sonmoni Borah addresses officials during a review of major urban development programmes at the Mantralaya in Nava Raipur on Thursday, August 20, 2026. PM Awas Yojana (Urban), AMRUT Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission and the 38 Nalanda complexes were among the major schemes reviewed-Photo primelookindia.com

Reviewing the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), he sought component-wise details of sanctioned and completed houses as well as pending works. Officials were asked to closely monitor construction quality and progress and ensure that eligible beneficiaries receive the benefits of the scheme without delay.

On AMRUT Mission projects, Borah told officials that reviews should not be based merely on reports received in offices. Officers must regularly visit project sites, assess the quality and progress of works and examine whether the intended benefits are actually reaching citizens.

Waste Segregation, Clean Markets and Nalanda Complexes in Focus

Cleanliness and waste management figured prominently in the review. Borah directed urban bodies to effectively implement waste segregation at source in homes, markets and public places, while strengthening collection and proper disposal systems.

He also reviewed implementation of the four-bin system and stressed sustained public-awareness activities to increase citizens’ participation in keeping cities clean.

Major market areas are to receive particular attention for regular cleaning, timely garbage collection and systematic waste management. Borah stressed that cleanliness should not remain confined to periodic campaigns but must become a regular and sustainable urban practice whose impact is clearly visible on the ground.

The Principal Secretary also reviewed the 38 Nalanda Complexes — Central Library-cum-Reading Zones — under construction in different urban bodies and directed officials to continuously inspect the projects and ensure their completion within stipulated timelines.

He asked the department to simultaneously arrange books, computer panels, librarians and other essential facilities so that students can begin using the libraries immediately after construction is completed.

Drawing on his experience from an earlier stint in urban administration, Borah emphasised regular coordination with local elected representatives, saying such interaction helps officials obtain a clearer assessment of development works and problems at the ground level.

He also directed officials to resolve complaints received through the CM Helpline and CPGRAMS portal with seriousness and within prescribed timelines.

The review extended to tourism and public amenities. Borah asked the Raipur Municipal Corporation Commissioner to identify tourism sites in the city and ensure adequate drinking water, accessible toilets, dustbins and cleanliness facilities.

Officials were also asked to prepare plans for urban forestry and rejuvenation of public gardens and explore public-private partnership models for funding. Newly incorporated areas following the delimitation of urban bodies are to receive priority in planning for drinking water, sanitation, urban greenery and urban agriculture.

Borah further called for innovative approaches to repairing existing housing projects, slum redevelopment and exploring viable commercial projects on available EWS land, asking officials to adopt out-of-the-box solutions in urban development.

Director, Urban Administration and Development, R. Ekka; SUDA Chief Executive Officer Sumit Agrawal; Raipur Municipal Corporation Commissioner Sambit Mishra; Birgaon Municipal Corporation Commissioner Yugal Kishore Urvasha; Deputy Secretary Bhagwat Jaiswal; Additional Director Pulak Bhattacharya; Chief Engineer Rajesh Sharma; Joint Director Mithilesh Awasthi; Deputy Director Arun Sahu; SUDA Deputy Chief Executive Officers Sunil Agrahari and Sachit Sahu; and Superintending Engineer Ramesh Singh were among those present.