100 Smart City projects get Cabinet nod

Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared 100 smart city projects.

According to PTI, "Apart from approving these 100 smart city projects, old housing projects initiated by previous government are also cleared by the Cabinet."

'Smart City' is an initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the pressure off Indian metros. Ahead of his election last May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised 100 so-called smart cities by 2022 to help meet the rush.

A smart city in Gujarat is currently under construction. 

India has allocated nearly Rs 6000 crore for development of these smart cities. 

Many countries like the US, Spain, Singapore, etc have envisaged their interest in partnering with India in developing these smart cities. 

Earlier in April Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu had said that the Cabinet nod for smart cities can be expected soon. He had said that the Expenditure Finance Committee has cleared the proposal and now the Cabinet nod is needed. 

The project is expected to be rolled out from next month. This is Indian government's flagship project and aims to provide housing for all by 2022. 

With an urban population set to rise by more than 400 million people to 814 million by 2050, India faces the kind of mass urbanisation only seen before in China, and many of its biggest cities are already bursting at the seams.

Pressure on India's existing urban centres is already intense, with cities like Mumbai gridlocked by traffic and hampered by poor infrastructure and a lack of amenities like parks and effective public transport.