Smart City Mission: Names of 20 smart cities to be released today

Updated: Thursday, January 28, 2016, 12:20 [IST]

New Delhi, Jan 28: In a first step toward development of 100 Smart Cities, the government will be announcing the first set of 20 smart cities today. While 97 cities are taking part in the Smart Cities Challenge, the names of 20 winners will be announced today, said M Venkaiah Naidu, the Urban Development Minister.

According to the mission 100 Indian cities will be developed to have basic infrastructure through assured water and power supply, solid waste management, sanitation, transportation, connectivity, e-governance and citizen participation.

Subsequently, 40 other cities will also be named to add on to the list of 100 cities. However, this comes with a challenge. Perpetuation of inequities in urban areas has serious ramifications for natural security and hence, the government is committed to the all-inclusive development under new initiatives like Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Smart City Mission, Swachh Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).

Stressing on all-inclusive developmental structure, Naidu said that this was the need of the hour as "Young India" was becoming more aspirational. He also raised concern over the exploitation of urban spaces by the higher section of the society at the cost of the poor.