More than 200 officials from various departments participated in the concluding session of the capacity-building workshop for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) on ‘Urban Challenge Fund – Project Preparation and Municipal Finance Lab’ in Vijayawada on Wednesday.Addressing the session, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department Principal Secretary S. Suresh Kumar said urban infrastructure projects could no longer be prepared merely as cost estimates and must instead be developed as structured proposals with clarity on aspects such as need assessment, land availability, DPR status, technical scope, project cost, revenue sources, financing options and implementation timelines.He said the workshop should culminate in a 30-day action plan and directed all participating ULBs to identify one priority project, finalise the most suitable financing route and submit project-specific action plans with clearly defined timelines.Emphasising the importance of digital monitoring, Mr. Suresh Kumar said the Online Works Monitoring Module and other monitoring platforms should be used effectively to track approvals, physical and financial progress, bottlenecks and project outcomes.Municipal Commissioners, Municipal Engineers, Finance Officers and other officials from Urban Local Bodies, along with representatives and mentors from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO), Andhra Pradesh Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation and other organisations, participated in the workshop. Published - June 10, 2026 09:37 pm IST