31 cities transformed under Smart Cities Mission: RTI

New Delhi: Among100 selected cities across the country, only 31 have been converted to 'smart' cities under a five-year project beginning in 2016, which has been extended thrice, according to an RTI reply by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

In response to the query filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the ministry informed that 43 cities are near completion, and it will take some time to convert the remaining 26 cities.

The Smart Cities Mission project aims to improve the quality of life in 100 cities by providing efficient services, robust infrastructure, and sustainable solutions. The project was to be completed in four phases.

The ministry, in the reply, said that under the first phase of the 'Smart City Mission', 20 cities were selected in January 2016. In the second phase, 40 cities were selected from May to September, 2016, 30 cities were selected in June 2017 under the third phase, and 10 cities were selected by January 2018 in the fourth phase.

However, the ministry decided to extend the deadline to June 2023. It was then extended again to June 30, 2024, and then to March 31, 2025. In its reply, the ministry said that till December 2025, 31 cities have been transformed into smart cities at a cost of Rs 59,385 crore in about 10 years.

It clarified that the 'Smart City Mission' was not aimed at developing an entire city, but rather at area-based development. The plan included redevelopment and green spaces, without demolishing old structures, and developing a model that could be adopted by other cities.

According to the information shared by the ministry, among these 31 smart cities, the cities on which the maximum amount has been spent include Indore, Tripura, Surat, Varanasi, Bhopal and Rajkot.