Andhra Pradesh has topped the chart among States in terms of the “Ease of Living Index” rankings under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). Andhra Pradesh is followed by Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.

Andhra Pradesh has also outperformed 28 other States and seven Union Territories (UTs) to be the best in India for conducting  business.

Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2015, AMRUT aims at ensuring robust sewage networks, water supply and other infrastructure to improve the quality of life of people in urban areas.

Speaking at the National Dissemination Workshop on Ease of Living Index, 2018, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the index will encourage all cities to move towards an “outcome-based” approach to urban planning and management, and promote healthy competition among cities.

“The Ease of Living Index seeks to assist cities in undertaking a 360-degree assessment of their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats,” Puri said.

Till last month, piped water connection has been provided to more than24 lakh households across the country under the AMRUT. As many as 2,731projects worth Rs 48, 252 crore have been awarded under this scheme .Till date, 823 projects worth Rs 1,676 crore have been completed.

The MoHUA released the first ever ‘Ease of Living Index’ covering 111 Indian cities on 13 August 2018, which serves as a litmus test to help assess the progress made in cities through various initiatives. Three cities of Maharastra - Pune, Navi Mumbai and Greater Mumbai - have been ranked first, second and third  in the list of  most liveable cities. The list has raised many eyebrows as it places New Delhi at the 65th position, below Ghaziabad (63) and Muzaffarpur (46).

All cities were evaluated out of 100. The ‘physical’ pillar (infrastructure) was given the highest weightage of 45, while institutional (governance) and social were weighted 25 each. The economy was weighted 5.