‘Smart Cities’ project will turn into a reality next month

Prime Minister Narendra Modi government’s programmes like Smarty City, Atal Mission for Urban Renewal and Transformation (AMRUT) and Housing for All are going to launch next month.

Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said that all formalities were completed for all three programmes like consultations with stakeholders, state governments and urban local bodies.

He told a news agency that the ministry would like to launch the programmes on a convenient day in June.

Modi had vowed to build 100 smart cities by 2022 to meet the increasing urban population, which is expected to rise by more than 400 million people to 814 million by 2050.

The Finance Ministry had allocated Rs 7,060 crore for developing these smart cities.

The cities would get central assistance of Rs 100 crore per year for five years and the aspirants would be selected through a 'City Challenge Competition'.

The world is keen on setting up smart cities, where technology can help citizens access, in real time, infrastructure services like traffic, parking, lighting, and water.

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