Bhubaneswar has topped the list of 20 Smart Cities

Venkaiah Naidu (Union Urban Development Minister)  on Thursday announced the names of the first 20 cities in India, selected to be developed as smart cities under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project, with Bhubaneswar in top list followed by Pune, Jaipur, Surat, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Jabalpur, Visakhapatnam, Solapur, Davanagere, Indore, New Delhi Municipal Council, Coimbatore, Kakinada, Belagavi, Udaipur, Guwahati, Chennai, Ludhiana and Bhopal are on the list.

Smart cities are projected to be equipped with basic infrastructure and will offer a good quality of life to the people through smart solutions. Assured water and power supply, sanitation and solid waste management, efficient urban mobility and public transport, robust IT connectivity, e-governance and citizen participation along with safety of its citizens are some of the likely attributes of these smart cities.

The announcement of the first 20 cities will be followed by inclusion of 40 and 38 cities, respectively, over the next two years.

₹50 Crs from govt

Investments:

1-The government will invest Rs 50,802 crore in the 20 cities and towns over five years.

2-Venkaiah pointed out that the top 20 cities have proposed to retrofit certain specific areas to be smart. Bhubaneshwar will retrofit 985 acres around its railway station.