Odisha likely to get five Smart Cities out of 100 in India

Odisha is likely to have five of the proposed 100 smart cities initiative by Modi government. The cities are – Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur and Balasore (India TV report).

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared one of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s most favoured project – 100 smart cities spread across the country.

‘Smart City’ is an initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the pressure off Indian metros. Ahead of general election last year, Modi had promised 100 smart cities by 2022 to help meet the rush.

A smart city in Gujarat is currently under construction.

Under the smart cities scheme each city selected through a “city challenge” competition would get central assistance of Rs 100 crore per year for five years. To begin about 20 cities would be selected after the state governments come forward with names of cities they want nominated.

The criteria for competition would be finalized soon and these will be linked to financing with the ability of the cities to perform and achieve mission objectives.

According to an official release, the smart cities mission intends to promote adoption of smart solutions for efficient use of available assets, resources and infrastructure with the objective of enhancing the quality of urban life and providing a clean and sustainable environment.

There will be special focus on adequate and clean water supply, sanitation and solid waste management, efficient transportation, affordable housing for the poor, power supply, robust IT connectivity, e-governance, safety and security of citizens, health and education.

There will be special emphasis on citizens’ participation in prioritizing and planning urban interventions.

In January, the Odisha state government has requested the Centre to include six cities in the smart city project. These are Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Puri, Sambalpur and Rourkela.

The cities will have facilities such as uninterrupted power supply, internet connectivity, 24×7 water supply and high frequency mass transport system apart from toilets.

The selection of smart cities will be done on the basis of good governance practices, cleanliness and ability to meet future challenges, official sources said.

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