NEW DELHI, INDIA (Smart Cities News): After six years of the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) launch, 100 cities from India were selected to develop them and become smart cities. Still, according to the latest report, only 46 percent of the 6,000 work was completed until July 2021.
According to the report from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA), till 09th July 2021, out of the 6,017 projects tendered, but only 2,781 projects have been completed ever since the Central government launched this mission on 25th June 2015
Under the Smart City Mission, the 100 selected cities were provided with adequate water supply, assured electricity supply, sanitation, solid waste management, efficient urban mobility and public transport, affordable housing, especially for the poor and robust IT connectivity and digitalisation.
The selection of 100 “Smart Cities” choose through four selection rounds from January 2016 to June 2018. As per Smart Cities Mission guidelines, the Centre has to provide financial support to this mission to the extent of Rs 48,000 crore over five years, i.e., on an average of Rs. One hundred crores (100) per city per year. An equal amount on a matching basis contributed by the states or urban local bodies of that state/UTs.
The government of India released ₹ 23,925.83 crores as the Central share to the states, out of which these Smart Cities have utilised ₹ 20,410.14 crores (around 85 percent).