The Indian Express | Andhra Pradesh tops ‘Ease of Living Index’ making it India’s best state to live in

Sep 26,2018

If you are looking for a place with a good quality of life, then head to Andhra Pradesh. The state has recently topped the chart in the ‘Ease of Living Index’ rankings under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), followed by Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs confirmed. Around 111 cities were analysed on the basis of the quality of infrastructure, basic services available to the people in urban areas and other facilities.

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

According to PTI, speaking at the National Dissemination Workshop on ‘Ease of Living Index’, Union 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”.

The city supersedes even the most sought-after states like Delhi, Maharashtra, and Karnataka when it comes to acing the liveability index. The state houses various hotspot tourist places such as Araku Valley, Srisailam, Tirupati temple, Lepakshi, Rajahmundry, etc. Apart from that, the state has also ranked in several cleanliness surveys held over the past few months.