Centre unveils list of 98 smart cities; UP, TN strike it rich

News:

• Union Minister of Urban Development, Venkaiah Naidu declared nominations of 98 cities for NDA government’s flagship program.
• Centre has earmarked Rs 48,000 crore for development of 100 smart cities.
• The cities were selected through intra-city competition evaluated on parameters such as service levels, financial and institutional capacity, past track record and reforms.
• With an aim to achieve “inclusive growth”, the Smart City Mission promotes integrated city planning, where the government’s policies such as Swachh Bharat Mission and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation complement each other.
• Of the 98 cities and towns that five years down will graduate into smart cities, 24 are capital cities, another 24 are business and industrial centres, 18 are culture and tourism influenced areas, five are port cities and three are education and health care hubs.
• The success of the government’s Smart City Mission is largely dependent upon the finance generation at the State-level as well as private investments.

Source: TH