New Delhi, Jun 24 (DHNS): Uttar Pradesh will get to nominate the maximum number of cities to be developed as ‘Smart Cities’, followed by Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

Karnataka will get 6 ‘Smart Cities’ as against Uttar Pradesh’s 13. In Karnataka, 26 cities will be selected for implementing infrastructure development under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (Amrut).

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to launch the NDA government flagship urban projects on June 25, the Ministry of Urban Development has assigned number of cities each state/Union territory can nominate under the 100 Smart Cities project as well as those to be developed under Amrut. Maharashtra has been allotted 10 cities and Gujarat is eligible to develop six.

In Uttar Pradesh, 54 cities in the state have been identified while Tamil Nadu comes second with the allocation of 12 smart cities and 33 Amrut cities. Under Amrut scheme, 37, 31 and 26 cities have been identified in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka respectively. Delhi has got one city each for Smart City and Amrut.

Cities with one lakh selected for implementing Amrut while cities to be selected for Smart Cities will be based on competition among cities in each states.

“Selection of potential smart city is based on a two-stage competition — ‘City Challenge’ competition. First stage of competition is intra-state. This involves evaluating all cities and towns in each state based on a set of criteria evolved by the Ministry of Urban Development in consultation with all stakeholders including states/UTs,” said the official.

Cities nominated by each state will participate in the second stage of ‘inter-city’ competition. These 100 cities will prepare smart city plans for each city and they will be evaluated in the ministry by a panel of experts based on a set of elaborate criteria.

Twelve states — UP, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Telangana and Chhattisgarh — would lead the urban transformation piloted by the Modi-led government.

These 12 states account for 70 per cent of smart cities to be developed and Amrut cities to be rejuvenated.

Of these 12 states, eight are governed by the BJP or its allies accounting for about half of smart cities to be developed and 225 of 476 Amrut cities identified so far. UTs are also the responsibility of the central government.