Union Government announces names of 98 cities for Smart Cities Project

Union Government has declared the names of 98 cities for its ambitious Smart Cities Project.
These cities were selected by the respective States and Union Territories on the parameters set by the Union Government.
Of the total 98 cities, 13 were selected from Uttar Pradesh, 12 from Tamil Nadu, 10 from Maharashtra, 7 from Madhya Pradesh, 3 each from Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.
These 98 cities has around 13 crore population and constitute around 35 per cent of urban population of India which will be covered under the mission.
All other remaining states in India also have got one or two cities for the purpose Smart Cities Project except Jammu and Kashmir which has sought more time for selecting cities for the project.
These selected cities will get two crore rupees each for the preparation of the smart city plan with the prime motive to enhance urban life with very practical and realistic approach.
Union Government has proposed to provide financial support of 48,000 crore rupees to this project over next five years. Of this amount, 200 crore rupees will be released during the first year.  It should be noted this project will be implemented by states, union territories and urban local bodies as they have an important role to play in the implementation.

Month: Current Affairs - August, 2015