Centre Confirms No Plans for New Cities Under Smart Cities Mission
The government informed the Rajya Sabha that there are currently no plans to include additional cities under the Smart Cities Mission (SCM). In response to a query about the possibility of selecting 100 new cities, apart from the 100 already chosen, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu stated in his written reply, “At present, there is no proposal under consideration by the Central Government to extend the existing SCM by adding more cities.” The Smart Cities Mission, launched on June 25, 2015, has an allocation of Rs 480 billion for the 100 cities currently selected. As of November 11, 2024, a total of Rs 881.77 billion has been released to States and Union Territories under SCM, with Rs 823.51 billion utilised. A total of 8,066 projects worth Rs 1646.69 billion have been sanctioned, with 7,352 projects (91%) worth Rs 1473.66 billion completed. The remaining 714 projects, valued at Rs 173.03 billion, are still in progress. While the government views urbanisation as an opportunity for faster economic growth, challenges persist in the implementation of smart city projects. Issues such as legal hurdles, delays in obtaining clearances, land acquisition, construction in hilly areas, and resource constraints in smaller cities have affected the progress. The Smart Cities Mission aims to improve quality of life, provide efficient services, and create sustainable infrastructure in the selected cities. (ANI)
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