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Centre unveils list of 98 Smart Cities that emerged winners of nationwide competition

Written By DNA Web Team | Updated: Aug 27, 2015, 12:51 PM IST

Union Minister of Urban Development​ Venkaiah Naidu

Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Jaipur, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar are among the cities who have found place in the coveted Smart Cities project list.

Kolkata, Mumbai, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar and Rae Bareli will be developed as Smart Cities as the Urban Development Ministry formally announced the names of cities being selected for the NDA government's flagship project on Thursday.

"The prime motive is to enhance urban life, mission is very practical and realistic. We need public's participation," Union Minister of Urban Development​ Venkaiah Naidu told reporters. Naidu held a a press conference to annouce the list of cities selected.

Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Jaipur, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar are among the cities that have found place in the coveted Smart Cities project list. Centre has earmarked Rs 48,000 crore for development of 100 smart cities. All Union Territories, including Delhi, have found place in the list.

"Smart Cities need smart people, we need people's co-operation to move forward in our mission," Naidu added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the criteria and guidelines for 100 Smart Cities to be selected through city challenge competition on June 25. In the first phase, Centre has picked 20 cities and in the next two years 40 cities each will be selected for receiving Central funding of Rs 500 crore spread over the next five years. Each smart city will get a Central assistance of Rs. 100 crore per year for five years. 

"Barring Jammu and Kashmir, all states have finalised the names of proposed Smart Cities through competition. So there are total 99 cities selected across the country," sources in Urban Development Ministry had said on Wednesday. While the Jammu and Kashmir government has proposed two cities - Jammu and Srinagar - instead of one city.

Rather some of the lesser known cities and municipal areas such as Bihar Sharif in Bihar, Moradabad and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Dharamsala in Himachal, Shivamogga in Karnataka were nominated by the states.

With agency inputs.