Modi launches smart city scheme
New Delhi, June 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched three ambitious schemes aimed at developing smart cities. The three projects - Smart Cities Mission, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and the Housing for All, called as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) - are worth Rs four lakh crore. AMRUT provides basic infrastructure while PMAY enables the urban poor to own decent and affordable houses. Under the Smart Cities Mission, quality of life would be enhanced in the 100 selected cities and towns by providing quality infrastructure, good environment etc. 500 cities with one lakh and above population would be identified for AMRUT project. The PM clarified that there would be neither the Centre nor the states intervention in choosing the 100 cities and the cities will be selected through a competition for smart cities scheme. Modi said his aim is to provide houses to all people by 2022. Three cities in Andhra Pradesh and two in Telangana State were selected under the Smart City Scheme. Under AMRIT sheme, 15 cities in Telangana and 31 in Andhra Pradesh were selected. Rs 100 crore would be allotted to each city selected under these schemes.