City bureaucrats competed with pitches and ministers pulled strings in the Ministry of Urban Affairs. It seemed transformation of the blighted urban landscape was round the corner.
Eight years down the line, the Smart Cities euphoria has waned. It is absent from election promises and in the bragging of ministers. The project was supposed to be completed by June 2021. After two extensions the last one made in May this year - most of the 'smart' cities look much the same.
The report card submitted to Parliament in February this year however shows a pretty picture. As many as 7,804 projects worth over ₹1.8 lakh crore have been sanctioned in 100 cities. Of these, 72% of the projects worth ₹1,07,000 crore were to be completed by April 30, 2023.
Around 232 projects worth ₹15,000 crore relate to infrastructure development such as multi-modal transport hubs, multi-level car parking, and bike sharing. As many as 1,100 smart mobility projects worth ₹22,785 crore have been completed, and 984 public spaces developed at a cost of ₹5,861 crore.
Tardy completion
This story is from the August 20, 2023 edition of The New Indian Express.
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This story is from the August 20, 2023 edition of The New Indian Express.
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