States given four months to identify potential smart cities

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The Central government has indicated time frames for the kick off of its smart city project. As per reports, the first list of 20 such places to be chosen might be finalised by March 2016. States and Union Territories have got four months to come up with their list of places which they think deserve to be among these 100 smart cities, it is learnt, by October-November 2015. A valuation of the plans will determine the final 100 smart cities.

The Union government has indicated timelines for its smart city project to take off. Going by these, said a source, the first list of 20 such places to be chosen might be finalised by March 2016. States and Union Territories have got four months to come up with their list of places which they think deserve to be among these 100 smart cities, it is learnt, by October-November 2015. A valuation of the plans will determine the final 100.

The Narendra Modi led government had proposed an allocation of Rs 7,060 crore in the financial year of 2014-15 for developing 100 smart cities in the country. While announcing the last budget in July 2014, Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley had said,

“The Prime Minister has a vision of developing 100 smart cities as satellite towns of larger cities
and by modernizing the existing mid-sized cities. With development reaching an increasingly large
number of people, the pace of migration from the rural areas to the cities is increasing.”

The aim behind this ambitious project was to accommodate the increasing number of people by providing affordable housing facilities and new age amenities.

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