Shimla, Aug 27 (IANS): Dharamsala, the abode of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, was nominated for the Smart City Mission, Himachal Pradesh Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma said here on Thursday.

Shimla lagged behind due to poor implementation of JNNURM projects.

The selection of smart cities was ascertained by the capacity and willingness of the cities to become smart, said Sharma.

Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday announced in Delhi the list of 98 cities nominated for the Smart City Mission, saying a total population of 13 crore across these cities will be covered under the initiative.

"The scoring criteria included existing service levels, institutional systems and capacities of urban local bodies, past track records and efficiency of implementation of JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission) schemes and programmes," Naidu said.

Sharma said Dharamsala, some 250 km from the state capital, scored higher points than Shimla, once the summer capital of British India.

Dharamsala scored 87.5 percent while Shimla came second with 85 percent.

"We will use the funds sanctioned under Smart City Mission for Dharamsala appropriately and within timeframe," Minister Sudhir Sharma told IANS.