Kaushal Kishore, the Minister of state for housing and urban affairs recently declared that the Union Government has proposed the commencement of 105 projects at an estimated Rs.8.22 bn. According to the minister, three projects at Rs.136 mn have been achieved. The ministry has released work orders for 42 projects worth Rs.1.63 bn, while tenders have been floated for nine projects of Rs. 404.7 mn. Detailed project reports have been made for 51 projects for Rs.6.04 bn. Puducherry is among the 12 smart cities, which have been picked through a challenging process for funding and technical aid under the City Investment to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain (CITIIS) program.