Govt announces list of 20 smart cities

Ahmedabad, Surat, Kochi and New Delhi Municipal Corporation, among others get shortlisted

The government on Thursday announced a list of 20 places that will be developed as smart cities. 

The shortlisted 20 cities include Bhubaneswar, Pune, Jaipur, Surat, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Jabalpur, Vishakhapatnam, Solapur, Davangere, Indore, Coimbatore, Kakinada, Belgaum, Udaipur, Guwahati, Chennai, Ludhiana Bhopal and New Delhi Municipal Corporation. 

These cities will get a funding from the Centre during the current financial year. About Rs 500 crore will be spent on each city in phases by the Centre, while the remaining amount will come from the states, urban bodies and private partners. 

“Today marks a historic landmark in annals of urban development as we get to know the first batch of Smart Cities,” said Venkaiah Naidu, Union Minister for Urban Development, while unveiling the list. 

While there is no time frame to develop cities, but local bodies must work hard to upgrade their cities, the minister added.

"In terms of population, these 20 cities account for 3.54 crore people. A total investment of Rs.50,802 crore has been proposed in the selected smart cities and towns during the five-year period. Bottom-up approach has been the key planning principle under Smart City Mission," he added.

Naidu added: "Smart cities need to be inclusive, sustainable and effective engines of growth, fulfilling the aspiration of Young India."