Union Minister for Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu today said the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently approved Centre’s spending of Rs one lakh crore on urban development under two new urban missions over the next five years.
Addressing a two-day conference on “Smart City: Delivery of Civic Services” organised by Vijnan Bharati, he said the Cabinet has approved the Smart Cities Mission and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) of 500 cities with outlays of Rs 48,000 crore and Rs 50,000 crore respectively.
Under the Smart Cities Mission, each selected city would get some financial assistance and the program will be mainly through PPP model. Smart City aspirants will be selected through a ‘City Challenge Competition’ intended to link financing with the ability of the cities to perform to achieve the mission objectives, he said, adding that each State will shortlist a certain number of smart city aspirants as per the norms to be indicated and they will prepare smart city proposals for further evaluation for extending Central support.
In the absence of planned urbanization, citizens are required to unnecessarily travel long distances from home to work and other places, land and housing costs are getting beyond the reach of common man, poor are getting more and more deprived of the benefits of urbanization, Venkaiah Naidu said.
The Union minister said “Smart Cities” basically seek to address these issues in the context of present urban living in the country and, smart cities should offer such urban eco-systems that make cities and towns more livable by improving upon virtually every facet of daily life by bridging the infrastructure deficit and enhancing the quality and delivery of all services that are required for such better living. (NSS)