With some of the 100 selected smart cities lagging behind in implementing projects under the Mission, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has decided to pair up 20 best cities with 20 worst performers.

The move is aimed at improving the rank of cities whose performance is not up to the mark despite having availability of sufficient funds for the execution of various projects.

Smart Cities Mission Director Kunal Kumar told PTI that some cities are lagging behind, which need to be pushed through guidance by best performing cities.

"Under the 20-20 formula floated by ministry secretary Durga Shanker Mishra, the 20 best performing cities will be made sister cities which will team up with 20 cities which need to do well in implementing projects," he said.

The mission director said that the ministry will announce the exact pairings of these cities under 20-20 formula in the next 15 days.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/what-is-a-smart-city-and-what-does-it-mean-for-urban-india-270444">What is a 'smart city' and what does it mean for urban India?</a>

For instance, a best performing hill city will team up with another non-performing hill city for executing projects and dealing with problems be it related to road infrastructure, water, electricity and others.

Kumar said that the ministry does internal rankings of 100 selected cities every week based on their performance under the Mission.

Another official, who did not wish to be named, said that Surat, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Ranchi, Bhopal, Kanpur, Indore, Visakhapatnam, Agra, Varanasi, Pune and Udaipur are among the 20 best performing smart cities.

Smart Cities Mission, launched in 2015, is aimed at ensuring all-round developments of a city which has advanced facilities for its citizens.

Meanwhile, a two-day 3rd Apex Conference of Smart Cities concluded here on Saturday where CEOs of selected cities participated.

Surat was ranked the first among other 100 cities in overall category.

According to the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, which is mandated to implement the Smart Cities Mission, the value of tendered smart city projects is so far over Rs 1,62,000 crore.

The value of work orders issued so far is around Rs 1,20,000 crore and the value of all completed projects is more than Rs 25,000 crore.&nbsp;

With some of the 100 selected smart cities lagging behind in implementing projects under the Mission, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has decided to pair up 20 best cities with 20 worst performers.

With some of the 100 selected smart cities lagging behind in implementing projects under the Mission, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has decided to pair up 20 best cities with 20 worst performers. The move is aimed at improving the rank of cities whose performance is not up to the mark despite having availability of sufficient funds for the execution of various projects. Smart Cities Mission Director Kunal Kumar told PTI that some cities are lagging behind, which need to be pushed through guidance by best performing cities. "Under the 20-20 formula floated by ministry secretary Durga Shanker Mishra, the 20 best performing cities will be made sister cities which will team up with 20 cities which need to do well in implementing projects," he said. The mission director said that the ministry will announce the exact pairings of these cities under 20-20 formula in the next 15 days. Also read: What is a 'smart city' and what does it mean for urban India? For instance, a best performing hill city will team up with another non-performing hill city for executing projects and dealing with problems be it related to road infrastructure, water, electricity and others. Kumar said that the ministry does internal rankings of 100 selected cities every week based on their performance under the Mission. Another official, who did not wish to be named, said that Surat, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Ranchi, Bhopal, Kanpur, Indore, Visakhapatnam, Agra, Varanasi, Pune and Udaipur are among the 20 best performing smart cities. Smart Cities Mission, launched in 2015, is aimed at ensuring all-round developments of a city which has advanced facilities for its citizens. Meanwhile, a two-day 3rd Apex Conference of Smart Cities concluded here on Saturday where CEOs of selected cities participated. Surat was ranked the first among other 100 cities in overall category. According to the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, which is mandated to implement the Smart Cities Mission, the value of tendered smart city projects is so far over Rs 1,62,000 crore. The value of work orders issued so far is around Rs 1,20,000 crore and the value of all completed projects is more than Rs 25,000 crore.

Smart Cities Mission: Best performing cities to team up with worst performers under 20-20 formula

"Nothing that is heritage is going to be dismantled," said Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri while answering WION's Political Editor Kartikeya Sharma's query on Delhi's Central Vista redevelopment. &nbsp;

While speaking as the Chief Guest at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-mission-smart-cities-2020-making-india-smart-270593">WION Mission Smart Cities 2020</a> event, Puri touched upon the nuances of the redevelopment of Delhi's Central Vista and said that Delhi's timeless heritage will remain untouched in the process of giving it an overhaul.&nbsp;

The minister said that through the medium of WION's Mission <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/what-is-a-smart-city-and-what-does-it-mean-for-urban-india-270444">Smart Cities</a> 2020 event, he got an opportunity to tell the public "that nothing that is heritage is going to be dismantled".&nbsp;

Puri said that Delhi's iconic, heritage buildings and state structures now exist for over 70 years and it is incumbent for the government to "occasionally look beyond today and tomorrow and to plan for the next 100 years to come".

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<h5>'I want to use this public platform of WION, which is a respectable medium, to say that nothing that is heritage is going to be dismantled. There is a rumour that all these iconic buildings are going to come down, nothing will come down. The parliament will remain as it is but you will have something more,' Puri stated.&nbsp;</h5>
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"I'm glad you asked me this because this gives me an opportunity to talk about it. Many of these buildings are not earthquake-proof and some are guzzlers of electricity and energy," the Union Minister said, adding that redesigning Central Vista is only going to add more without harming its heritage.&nbsp;

"I want to use this public platform of WION, which is a respectable medium, to say that nothing that is heritage is going to be dismantled. There is a rumour that all these iconic buildings are going to come down, nothing will come down. The parliament will remain as it is but you will have something more," Puri stated.&nbsp;

The Central government has proposed to redevelop Delhi's Central Vista or Rajpath and have a common secretariat for all ministries that are currently spread across buildings in Delhi.

The proposal of revamping the seat of power in the national capital has been won by a Gujarat-based firm.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SmartCitiesWithWION?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SmartCitiesWithWION</a> | Unlocking the potential of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SmartCities?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SmartCities</a> 
 
Guest of Honour and MoS of <a href="https://twitter.com/MoHUA_India?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MoHUA_India</a>, Mr. <a href="https://twitter.com/HardeepSPuri?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HardeepSPuri</a> gives a quick summary of India's Smart City Mission's progress (<a href="https://twitter.com/SmartCities_HUA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SmartCities_HUA</a>) &amp; key projects via PPT<a href="https://twitter.com/PMAYUrban?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PMAYUrban</a><a href="https://twitter.com/FinMinIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FinMinIndia</a><a href="https://twitter.com/NITIAayog?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NITIAayog</a> <a href="https://t.co/fSJpUX9ohM">pic.twitter.com/fSJpUX9ohM</a>
— WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/1210590845172240385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"People are trying to cast doubts and have been fed misinformation. I want to say that after the Central Vista construction is over, people will be moving to their new offices. Those who have seen the design are raving about it," Puri said.&nbsp;

Puri's remarks gave the concluding touch to WION's 'Mission Smart Cities 2020' event which witnessed eminent personalities converge their ideas on the making of India's 'smart cities'.&nbsp;

WION's Mission Smart Cities 2020 event focused on key topics. The 'Session 1' of the event focused on designing the future of India and unravelling the buzzword 'Smart Cities'.

Session 2 dealt with India’s real estate outlook on growth, sustainability, and economy.

From climate neutral cities, technology and transport to government initiatives and co-working spaces, stakeholders and industry stalwarts discussed the many opportunities and various challenges posed in the face of achieving the vision of building and developing India's smart cities as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while launching the '100 Smart Cities Mission' in 2015.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
WION hosted the 'Mission Smart Cities 2020' event in Delhi on December 27, 2019.

"Nothing that is heritage is going to be dismantled," said Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri while answering WION's Political Editor Kartikeya Sharma's query on Delhi's Central Vista redevelopment.

"Nothing that is heritage is going to be dismantled," said Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri while answering WION's Political Editor Kartikeya Sharma's query on Delhi's Central Vista redevelopment. While speaking as the Chief Guest at WION Mission Smart Cities 2020 event, Puri touched upon the nuances of the redevelopment of Delhi's Central Vista and said that Delhi's timeless heritage will remain untouched in the process of giving it an overhaul. The minister said that through the medium of WION's Mission Smart Cities 2020 event, he got an opportunity to tell the public "that nothing that is heritage is going to be dismantled". Puri said that Delhi's iconic, heritage buildings and state structures now exist for over 70 years and it is incumbent for the government to "occasionally look beyond today and tomorrow and to plan for the next 100 years to come". 'I want to use this public platform of WION, which is a respectable medium, to say that nothing that is heritage is going to be dismantled. There is a rumour that all these iconic buildings are going to come down, nothing will come down. The parliament will remain as it is but you will have something more,' Puri stated. × "I'm glad you asked me this because this gives me an opportunity to talk about it. Many of these buildings are not earthquake-proof and some are guzzlers of electricity and energy," the Union Minister said, adding that redesigning Central Vista is only going to add more without harming its heritage. "I want to use this public platform of WION, which is a respectable medium, to say that nothing that is heritage is going to be dismantled. There is a rumour that all these iconic buildings are going to come down, nothing will come down. The parliament will remain as it is but you will have something more," Puri stated. The Central government has proposed to redevelop Delhi's Central Vista or Rajpath and have a common secretariat for all ministries that are currently spread across buildings in Delhi. The proposal of revamping the seat of power in the national capital has been won by a Gujarat-based firm. #SmartCitiesWithWION | Unlocking the potential of #SmartCities Guest of Honour and MoS of @MoHUA_India, Mr. @HardeepSPuri gives a quick summary of India's Smart City Mission's progress (@SmartCities_HUA) & key projects via PPT@PMAYUrban@FinMinIndia@NITIAayog pic.twitter.com/fSJpUX9ohM — WION (@WIONews) December 27, 2019 × "People are trying to cast doubts and have been fed misinformation. I want to say that after the Central Vista construction is over, people will be moving to their new offices. Those who have seen the design are raving about it," Puri said. Puri's remarks gave the concluding touch to WION's 'Mission Smart Cities 2020' event which witnessed eminent personalities converge their ideas on the making of India's 'smart cities'. WION's Mission Smart Cities 2020 event focused on key topics. The 'Session 1' of the event focused on designing the future of India and unravelling the buzzword 'Smart Cities'. Session 2 dealt with India’s real estate outlook on growth, sustainability, and economy. From climate neutral cities, technology and transport to government initiatives and co-working spaces, stakeholders and industry stalwarts discussed the many opportunities and various challenges posed in the face of achieving the vision of building and developing India's smart cities as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while launching the '100 Smart Cities Mission' in 2015. WION hosted the 'Mission Smart Cities 2020' event in Delhi on December 27, 2019.

WION Mission Smart Cities 2020: Hardeep Singh Puri talks on revamping Delhi Central Vista, says 'nothing heritage will be dismantled'

Minister chooses WION event to outline India's Smart Cities Mission via PPT

India's only international English news channel WION is hosting the 'Mission Smart Cities 2020'&nbsp;event in Delhi on December 27, 2019, at 5 pm IST. 
&nbsp; 
The '100 Smart Cities Mission' was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life by enabling local development and harnessing technology. 
&nbsp; 
The Mission Smart Cities 2020 event by WION will focus on key topics. 'Session 1'&nbsp;of the event will be focused on designing the future of India and unravelling the buzzword “Smart Cities”.

Session 2 will deal with India’s real estate outlook on growth, sustainability, and economy.

From climate neutral cities, technology and transport to government initiatives and co-working spaces, stakeholders and industry stalwarts would discuss the opportunities and challenges of smart cities and real estate at the event. 
&nbsp; 
Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Civil Aviation would grace the event as the Chief Guest. Mr Puri would share his views and insights on 'Mission Smart Cities 2020'.

The event would be aired from 5 pm to 6:30 pm IST - Live on WION, its social media pages and on the website.&nbsp;

India's only international English news channel WION is hosting the 'Mission Smart Cities 2020' event in Delhi on December 27, 2019, at 5 pm IST. The '100 Smart Cities Mission' was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life by enabling local development and harnessing technology.

India's only international English news channel WION is hosting the 'Mission Smart Cities 2020' event in Delhi on December 27, 2019, at 5 pm IST. The '100 Smart Cities Mission' was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life by enabling local development and harnessing technology. The Mission Smart Cities 2020 event by WION will focus on key topics. 'Session 1' of the event will be focused on designing the future of India and unravelling the buzzword “Smart Cities”. Session 2 will deal with India’s real estate outlook on growth, sustainability, and economy. From climate neutral cities, technology and transport to government initiatives and co-working spaces, stakeholders and industry stalwarts would discuss the opportunities and challenges of smart cities and real estate at the event. Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Civil Aviation would grace the event as the Chief Guest. Mr Puri would share his views and insights on 'Mission Smart Cities 2020'. The event would be aired from 5 pm to 6:30 pm IST - Live on WION, its social media pages and on the website.

Designing India's future: WION's 'Mission Smart Cities 2020' event to take place in Delhi on Friday

We often hear of Tier I and Tier II cities of India, but not many are sure on what basis cities are classified. There are two kinds of city classifications in India. One has been made by the various pay commissions to determine the HRA that government employees should receive. The latest such was made by the 7th Pay commission in 2017 according to which there are three categories. a) Category X (population of 50 lakh and above) b) Category Y (population between 5 and 50 lakh) and category Z (population below 5 lakh). In common parlance, these are called Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities respectively. According to the last census of 2011, however, there is a different classification in terms of million-plus agglomerations, which are 53 in number, including mega cities (population greater than 10 million) like Mumbai and Delhi. Then there are statutory towns - any town having a municipal corporation and at the third level are census towns having a population over 5000 people with most people engaged in non-agricultural work.

Hence, the classification of cities in India is itself not standardized. However, one thing is clear: Most of the infrastructure budget is spent on metros, BRT corridors and expressways in these cities of Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, Tier II cities, such as Surat, Bhopal, Kochi, Lucknow, and Vadodara, continue to have poor public transport facilities and reel under alarming air pollution levels. Several of these cities are billed to be among the top 10 fastest growing cities of the world! It is worth examining if mere fast growth is anything to be proud of when quality of life for its citizens remains one of the worst.

Inter-city bus services are typically nonexistent except perhaps for state capitals. The municipality in Jalandhar has tried to run a bus service off and on since 2006 with little success. It outsourced the job to private players who abruptly quit in 2014 protesting against auto drivers who were taking away their business. Since then residents rely on shared autos or private vehicles to commute inside the city. The result is chaos and traffic congestion, a scenario shared with all smaller Indian cities. Public transport accounts for a mere 1 per cent of all trips in Surat. Skeletal bus services run in most Tier II cities where inter-city buses start from the main bus terminal. 
 
These are run by the state road transport undertaking and private operators. Passengers hop onto these inter- city buses and get off on the way if their destination lies on the route, which naturally means there is limited connectivity. A good bus service in a smaller Indian city is rare to find, with the South faring better on this aspect.

Public utilities are poor. In Indore, only 60 per cent of households are connected to water supply provided by the public utility. Even if there is access, limited and unreliable hours of water supply in Tier II cities lead to some households depending on groundwater extraction using borewells, which, in turn, keeps depleting water reserves. This is also true of electricity where uncertain supply and power outages lead people to meet most of their electricity demands through diesel powered gensets, which has an adverse ecological impact. A few cities, though, like Pune and Surat have been innovative on the energy front, developing energy efficient programmes through renewable sources.

The most damning indictment of India’s Tier II cities is that nine of them fall in the ‘list of the world’s top 15 most polluted cities’. Agra, Lucknow, Varanasi, Patna, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Srinagar, Faridabad and, of course, Kanpur, which tops the list. Uncontrolled construction due to rapid urbanisation and in some cases like Kanpur, pollution caused by specific industries has bestowed these cities with this status.

Several of the Tier II cities feature in the 100 cities selected for the Smart Cities mission whose objective is “to provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of ‘Smart’ Solution”. The Smart Cities mission is good for Tier II cities because it turns the spotlight towards India’s smaller cities which are often left out of the conversation on urban development and urban renewal. 
 
They will thus benefit from large resources that the central government has allocated for infrastructure and urban service delivery under this project. The challenge now is to empower local governing bodies and encourage them to innovate, relook at old models of service delivery and enable them to raise funds required for improvements. Given that the baseline of development is rather low, this would be a huge challenge for the city but one that is well worth undertaking to pull itself out of years of neglect.

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-tier-ii-cities-accelerated-growth-but-poor-quality-of-life-2695740">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

We often hear of Tier I and Tier II cities of India, but not many are sure on what basis cities are classified. There are two kinds of city classifications in India.

We often hear of Tier I and Tier II cities of India, but not many are sure on what basis cities are classified. There are two kinds of city classifications in India. One has been made by the various pay commissions to determine the HRA that government employees should receive. The latest such was made by the 7th Pay commission in 2017 according to which there are three categories. a) Category X (population of 50 lakh and above) b) Category Y (population between 5 and 50 lakh) and category Z (population below 5 lakh). In common parlance, these are called Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities respectively. According to the last census of 2011, however, there is a different classification in terms of million-plus agglomerations, which are 53 in number, including mega cities (population greater than 10 million) like Mumbai and Delhi. Then there are statutory towns - any town having a municipal corporation and at the third level are census towns having a population over 5000 people with most people engaged in non-agricultural work. Hence, the classification of cities in India is itself not standardized. However, one thing is clear: Most of the infrastructure budget is spent on metros, BRT corridors and expressways in these cities of Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Meanwhile, Tier II cities, such as Surat, Bhopal, Kochi, Lucknow, and Vadodara, continue to have poor public transport facilities and reel under alarming air pollution levels. Several of these cities are billed to be among the top 10 fastest growing cities of the world! It is worth examining if mere fast growth is anything to be proud of when quality of life for its citizens remains one of the worst. Inter-city bus services are typically nonexistent except perhaps for state capitals. The municipality in Jalandhar has tried to run a bus service off and on since 2006 with little success. It outsourced the job to private players who abruptly quit in 2014 protesting against auto drivers who were taking away their business. Since then residents rely on shared autos or private vehicles to commute inside the city. The result is chaos and traffic congestion, a scenario shared with all smaller Indian cities. Public transport accounts for a mere 1 per cent of all trips in Surat. Skeletal bus services run in most Tier II cities where inter-city buses start from the main bus terminal. These are run by the state road transport undertaking and private operators. Passengers hop onto these inter- city buses and get off on the way if their destination lies on the route, which naturally means there is limited connectivity. A good bus service in a smaller Indian city is rare to find, with the South faring better on this aspect. Public utilities are poor. In Indore, only 60 per cent of households are connected to water supply provided by the public utility. Even if there is access, limited and unreliable hours of water supply in Tier II cities lead to some households depending on groundwater extraction using borewells, which, in turn, keeps depleting water reserves. This is also true of electricity where uncertain supply and power outages lead people to meet most of their electricity demands through diesel powered gensets, which has an adverse ecological impact. A few cities, though, like Pune and Surat have been innovative on the energy front, developing energy efficient programmes through renewable sources. The most damning indictment of India’s Tier II cities is that nine of them fall in the ‘list of the world’s top 15 most polluted cities’. Agra, Lucknow, Varanasi, Patna, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Srinagar, Faridabad and, of course, Kanpur, which tops the list. Uncontrolled construction due to rapid urbanisation and in some cases like Kanpur, pollution caused by specific industries has bestowed these cities with this status. Several of the Tier II cities feature in the 100 cities selected for the Smart Cities mission whose objective is “to provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of ‘Smart’ Solution”. The Smart Cities mission is good for Tier II cities because it turns the spotlight towards India’s smaller cities which are often left out of the conversation on urban development and urban renewal. They will thus benefit from large resources that the central government has allocated for infrastructure and urban service delivery under this project. The challenge now is to empower local governing bodies and encourage them to innovate, relook at old models of service delivery and enable them to raise funds required for improvements. Given that the baseline of development is rather low, this would be a huge challenge for the city but one that is well worth undertaking to pull itself out of years of neglect. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Smart Cities Mission puts spotlight on India's smaller cities

Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced nine new smart cities in the latest round of the central government&#39;s flagship Smart Cities Mission, on Friday.&nbsp;

The nine cities chosen in the fourth round are; Bareilly, Moradabad and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Erode in Tamil Nadu, Bihar Sharif in Bihar, Silvasa in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Diu in Daman and Diu, Kavarati in Lakshadweep and Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh.

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LIVE: Union Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/HardeepSPuri?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HardeepSPuri</a> announces the list of nine new <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SmartCities?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SmartCities</a>, which have emerged winners in Round 4 
1 Silvassa 
2 Erode 
3 Diu 
4 Biharsharif 
5 Bareilly 
6 Itanagar 
7 Moradabad 
8 Saharanpur 
9 Kavaratti 
 
Watch: <a href="https://t.co/0q38QkRBi7">https://t.co/0q38QkRBi7</a> <a href="https://t.co/q62lDXrPg9">pic.twitter.com/q62lDXrPg9</a>
&mdash; PIB India (@PIB_India) <a href="https://twitter.com/PIB_India/status/954291970221854720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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This makes a total number of cities under the new project at 99. Shillong will be the 100th if it provides its proposal to the centre in the next three months.&nbsp;

Silvassa in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli has topped the list of winning cities in this round of competition.

According to the scheme, each city will get a sum of&nbsp;Rs 500 crore from the centre for coming up with new projects. An equal amount, on matching basis, will have to be contributed by the state or urban local bodies.

The minister stated that the nine cities have proposed an investment of Rs 12,824 crore rupees, for the 35.5 lakh people living in the area, and to develop 409 projects. He said, with the selection of these nine cities, the total proposed investment in 99 smart cities will be Rs 2,03,979 crore.

The mission of hundred smart cities was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2015.

The West Bengal government, however, has already announced that it would not participate in the centre&#39;s Smart Cities Mission.

Asked whether New Town was still a part of the Smart Cities Mission, Puri said, &quot;West Bengal is part of India and it bid for the scheme and New Town was one of the announced city for the mission.&quot;

&#39;Smart City Centers&#39;, based on advanced technologies, have become operational in four cities - Pune, Surat, Vadodara and Kakinada and work is in progress in 18 more cities.

As on January 17,&nbsp;Puri said there were 2,948 projects worth Rs 1.38 lakh crore in various stages of implementation, while 189 projects worth Rs. 2,237 crore have been completed.

(With PTI inputs)

The nine cities chosen in the fourth round are Bareilly, Moradabad and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Erode in Tamil Nadu, Bihar Sharif in Bihar, Silvasa in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Diu in Daman and Diu, Kavarati in Lakshadweep and Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh

Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced nine new smart cities in the latest round of the central government's flagship Smart Cities Mission, on Friday. The nine cities chosen in the fourth round are; Bareilly, Moradabad and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Erode in Tamil Nadu, Bihar Sharif in Bihar, Silvasa in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Diu in Daman and Diu, Kavarati in Lakshadweep and Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh. LIVE: Union Minister @HardeepSPuri announces the list of nine new #SmartCities, which have emerged winners in Round 4 1 Silvassa 2 Erode 3 Diu 4 Biharsharif 5 Bareilly 6 Itanagar 7 Moradabad 8 Saharanpur 9 Kavaratti Watch: https://t.co/0q38QkRBi7 pic.twitter.com/q62lDXrPg9 — PIB India (@PIB_India) January 19, 2018 × This makes a total number of cities under the new project at 99. Shillong will be the 100th if it provides its proposal to the centre in the next three months. Silvassa in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli has topped the list of winning cities in this round of competition. According to the scheme, each city will get a sum of Rs 500 crore from the centre for coming up with new projects. An equal amount, on matching basis, will have to be contributed by the state or urban local bodies. The minister stated that the nine cities have proposed an investment of Rs 12,824 crore rupees, for the 35.5 lakh people living in the area, and to develop 409 projects. He said, with the selection of these nine cities, the total proposed investment in 99 smart cities will be Rs 2,03,979 crore. The mission of hundred smart cities was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2015. The West Bengal government, however, has already announced that it would not participate in the centre's Smart Cities Mission. Asked whether New Town was still a part of the Smart Cities Mission, Puri said, "West Bengal is part of India and it bid for the scheme and New Town was one of the announced city for the mission." 'Smart City Centers', based on advanced technologies, have become operational in four cities - Pune, Surat, Vadodara and Kakinada and work is in progress in 18 more cities. As on January 17, Puri said there were 2,948 projects worth Rs 1.38 lakh crore in various stages of implementation, while 189 projects worth Rs. 2,237 crore have been completed. (With PTI inputs)

Government announces 9 new smart cities

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Smart Cities Mission, News on Smart Cities Mission, stories on Smart Cities Mission, articles on Smart Cities Mission, Smart Cities Mission stories at Wion, Smart Cities Mission news, Smart Cities Mission latest news

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Smart Cities Mission: Best performing cities to team up with worst performers under 20-20 formula

WION Mission Smart Cities 2020: Hardeep Singh Puri talks on revamping Delhi Central Vista, says 'nothing heritage will be dismantled'

Minister chooses WION event to outline India's Smart Cities Mission via PPT

Designing India's future: WION's 'Mission Smart Cities 2020' event to take place in Delhi on Friday

Designing India's future: WION's 'Mission Smart Cities 2020' event to take place in Delhi on Friday

Smart Cities Mission puts spotlight on India's smaller cities

Government announces 9 new smart cities