CMs in race for smart city funds

The government’s decision to invest `1 lakh crore to build 100 smart cities and redevelop 500 existing cities in five years will see a race between state chief ministers vying for funding the development of smart cities.

The CMs will have to compete for funds under the City Challenge Competition, said Pratap Padode, the founder of Smart Cities Council India, on the criteria the government will specify to qualify for funds.

According to indications, the criteria will revolve round the cities being able to deliver the last mile connectivity for 24x7 electricity, water, solid waste management and mobility options to the people.

“Chandrababu Naidu, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, could well be the first to qualify for funding as he is a man in a hurry,” said Mr Padode. Mr Naidu is already in talks with Singapore for building his capital city which will obviously be a smart city and with Japan for another smart city and is talking with major corporations to set up their base in his proposed capital.

The Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (Amrut) has a better chance of succeeding than its earlier avatar, named after Jawaharalal Nehru because the impact will be much greater in the 500 smaller cities and towns with population of one lakh and above.

Just sprucing up a railway station, building a road or a bridge can alter the life of the people, Mr Padode said, adding, the centre has in addition, left it to the states to chose the cities and execute the projects. Monitoring the projects by Niti Ayog will be important, he said.