Can't leave poor to their fate, says Modi

The government cannot leave the poor to their fate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Thursday at the launch of the Smart Cities Mission.

Besides the Smart Cities Mission, Modi launched at a function at Vigyan Bhawan the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) - all intended to enhance the quality of urban living and drive economic growth.

"The country's 40 percent population lives in cities and it is the responsibility of the government to uplift their standards of life. We cannot leave them on their fate," Modi said.

The central government has committed to spend about Rs.400,000 crore on these missions over the next six years.