New Delhi: Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday directed officials to prepare post-lockdown standard operating procedures (SOPs) for various urban missions, including the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and functioning of metro trains, an official said.

The directions were issued at a meeting chaired by Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Puri to review the progress of various urban missions, including Smart Cities Mission, Swachh Bharat, PMAY (Urban) and Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), he said.

"Officers presented the latest status of missions and they were asked by the minister to prepare protocols for when the lockdown ends," the official said.

"We don't know whether the lockdown will be extended or not. For instance, if the government decides to not to extend lockdown, the ministry should have prepared SOPs in details," he added.

"The ministry should be ready to start work being executed under missions when the lockdown ends," the official said. A nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which has now been extended till May 3. After the meeting, Puri tweeted, "Reviewed the progress of urban flagship missions with secretary & senior officers of @MoHUA_India."

"Happy to note that the missions are also contributing extensively towards #COVID19 related work along with their normal work & implementation of projects," he said.

Taking to Twitter, Urban Affairs Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra said 229 projects worth more than Rs 27,000 crore have started or restarted under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) with available local manpower in 10 states.

Mishra also said all the prescribed precautions for fighting COVID-19 are being observed, adding that this will provide livelihood opportunities to those who have lost their jobs temporarily.

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