JOIN USSmart City list out, six from State make the cut
The Centre on Thursday set the ball rolling to implement its major urban development initiative by announcing a list of 98 cities, including 24 state capitals, which are to be developed as smart cities.
By getting 13 cities, Uttar Pradesh tops the list, followed by Tamil Nadu (12 cities) and Maharashtra (10). Karnataka and Gujarat have six cities each.In Karnataka, six cities — Mangaluru, Belagavi, Shivamogga, Hubballi-Dharwad, Tumakuru, Davanagere — have figured in the list. Out of them cities, one will be selected for smart city development after the second stage competition in this financial year.
The names of the cities selected for the Rs 48,000-crore Smart Cities project was released by Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu.
Uttar Pradesh has one slot vacant as both Meerut and Rae Bareli have equal points for the 13th slot in the city challenge competition. Hence, the state government has to decide which one it wants to nominate. Jammu and Kashmir wants both Jammu and Srinagar to be developed as Smart City though the state has got only one slot in the project. Soon another two names will be announced Naidu said.
Patna and Bangaluru and Mumbai did not figure in the list.The Centre will release Rs 2 crore for each of the 98 cities in the next couple of days for preparation of Smart City plans. The next stage, an expert panel will identify 20 cities in the first lot by the end of the year and the next two years 40 cities each will be selected.
For the selection of 20 cities, the broad criteria will be city vision and strategy, cost effectiveness, and innovation.