Daijiworld Media Network- New Delhi (RJP)
New Delhi, Jan 28: Union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu said on Wednesday that the names of the first 20 cities to be developed as Smart Cities will be announced on Thursday, January 28.
There are 97 cities in the Smart City Challenge, and the government has decided to announce the names of the first 20 winners of the competition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to announce the list at 3 pm, it is expected.
These cities will be developed to have basic infrastructure through assured water and power supply, sanitation and solid waste management, efficient urban mobility and public transport, IT connectivity, e-governance and citizen participation.
6 Karnataka cities feature in the list of 97 cities from the country, namely- Mangaluru, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Belagavi and Davanagere. Three expert committees constituted by the government have finalised the list of 20.
20 cities selected today will get Rs 200 crore aid from the union government in the first year while in the next three years, they will get Rs 100 crore each year. The same amount has to be invested by the cities also to make the cities truly smart as per the plan.
The remaining 77 cities can correct their mistakes and participate in the next competition. 40 cities will be declared Smart Cities again in the year 2016-17 and 40 will be declared Smart Cities in the year 2017-18. Presently the number of applications is 97 out of the proposed 100 smart cities as per prime minister Narendra Modi's plan to develop 100 Smart Cities in the country.
Mangaluru is anxiously waiting for the announcement.