Smart cities project, Atal urban mission cleared

Girja Shankar Kaura

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 29

In a bid to recast the urban landscape of the country to make urban areas more livable and inclusive besides driving the economic growth, the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today approved Central government spending of about Rs 1 lakh crore on urban development under two new urban missions over the next five years.

The Cabinet has approved the Smart Cities Mission and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation of 500 cities (AMRUT) with outlays of Rs 48,000 crore and Rs 50,000 crore, respectively.

Under the Smart Cities Mission, each selected city would get central assistance of Rs 100 crore per year for five years. Smart city aspirants will be selected through a “City Challenge Competition” intended to link financing with the ability of the cities to perform to achieve the mission objectives.