Budget 2018: Smart Cities Mission Gets Hike of 50 Percent

99 smart cities have been selected with an outlay of Rs 2.04 lakh crore. These cities have started implementing the smart cities mission and about Rs 2,350 crore worth of projects have already been completed.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Budget 2018 has proposed an over 50 percent increase in the allocation for smart cities and about a 20 percent hike for the Atal Mission for Urban Rejuvenation and Transformation (AMRUT) schemes in 2018-19.

99 smart cities have been selected with an outlay of Rs 2.04 lakh crore. These cities have started implementing the smart cities mission and about Rs 2,350 crore worth of projects have already been completed. Around Rs 20,850 crore worth of smart city projects are still under progress.

The schemes are aimed at bringing transformative change in urban areas, which includes providing water connection to all households in 500 cities and towns though the government is struggling to show results.

These cities are implementing various projects like smart command and control centre, smart roads, solar rooftops, intelligent transport systems and smart parks.

It is pertinent to mention that the Smart Cities Mission was launched on June 25, 2015. The first list of 20 cities announced on Jan 28 2016. The fast-track list of 13 cities was announced on May 24 2016. The second list of 27 cities was announced on September 20 2016. The third list of 30 cities announced on June 23, 2017 and the final list was announced was announced last week.