Smart cities in process of developing innovative projects:Puri

Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri today expressed confidence that "physical manifestation of the work" in contracts that are in an advanced stage of implementation in the smart cities mission would be visible by June next year.
"This kind of advance thinking is being promoted in my ministry's flagship mission for smart cities. This again is a scheme which is operating very well. 90 cities were selected by competition, another 10 will be selected before this year," he said.
"I am confident that by June next year, you will all begin to see the physical manifestation of the work that is done, of the contracts which are in an advanced stage of implementation," he said.

He was speaking at the 10th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference cum Exhibition inaugurated here by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.
The smart cities are in the process of developing a large number of innovative projects which cover aspects like electric vehicles, he said.
"Our smart cities are in the process of developing a large number of innovative projects that cover such unprecedented aspects like electric vehicles, improved passenger information systems and smart parking systems, common payment cards for smooth transfers between different networks, intelligent traffic management...," he said.

The minister also expressed confidence that the targets under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana would be met by the due date of 2022.

"I have no doubt that the work that was started in the time of the Vice President in terms of ensuring the implementation of the scheme, we will meet the target. I am confident that we will meet the target well before the due date of 2022," he said.
The minister said he finds it reassuring that construction work has either started or at an advanced stage in states like Andhra Pradesh.