Union Cabinet clears 100 Smart City projects: Reports

New Delhi, April 29: Smart city, a pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi got Cabinet's nod on Wednesday. Reportedly, the Union Cabinet has cleared 100 smart city projects along with old housing projects of previous UPA government.

The project is all about making 'smart cities' which will be equipped with all basic amenities at affordable prices. Aiming for the same, the Government had allocated Rs 6,000 crore for materializing the project .

Gujarat has already taken the lead on the front and reportedly a smart city is currently under construction in the State.

Earlier this month, Urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu had said that the 'smart cities project' will be rolled out from next month.

"The Expenditure Finance Committee has cleared it. It is likely to go to the Cabinet any time this month," Naidu said at an event organised by CII. "This thing will be approved and it will be rolled from the next month onwards and then the competition, race will start ... cities must qualify themselves (by standards, sanitation, revenue, infrastructure) and once that is done then I will be coming to you (industry) and you will be coming to me and then we have a system, we have open offer," he said.

The Centre will be a facilitator with regard to smart cities and government will do the hand holding, he told the industry promising all support in implementation of projects they identify.

Lot of companies are showing interest because now the government has allowed foreign direct investment (FDI), he added.

OneIndia News