The Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, launched the National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme on 21st January, 2015, with a focus on holistic development of heritage cities. The scheme aims to preserve and revitalize soul of the heritage city to reflect the city’s unique character by encouraging aesthetically appealing, accessible, informative & secured environment.
As a pilot, this flagship scheme of the government focuses on revitalising twelve heritage cities, namely Amrawati (Andhra Pradesh), Gaya (Bihar), Dwaraka (Gujarat), Badami (Karnataka), Puri (Odisha), Amritsar (Punjab), Ajmer (Rajasthan), Kanchipuram and Velankanni (Tamil Nadu), Warrangal (Telangana) and Mathura and Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). The flagship scheme was launched  with duration of  27 months (completing in march 2017) and budget of 500 Crores.
Objectives of Hriday:
- Bring urban planning, economic growth and heritage conservation together for heritage cities.
- Beautification of heritage cities in an inclusive and integrated manner with prime focus on livelihoods, skills, cleanliness, security, safety, accessibility and faster service delivery.
- Create improved connectivity platform and access to tourists.
- Guide conservation, restoration, future use and development of heritage cities.
Key Facts about Hriday:Â
- 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
- The duration of this scheme is four years i.e. from December 2014 to March 2018.
- The scheme would be implemented in a mission mode.
