Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told the media that the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) only covers about 60% of the urban population and that the government is considering a follow-up scheme that would cover 100% of the urban areas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the AMRUT scheme in June 2015, intending to establish an infrastructure that would ensure reliable sewage networks and water supply for urban transformation. Puri said in response to a question in the Lok Sabha that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had mentioned a follow-up to the AMRUT scheme in her budget statement. The AMRUT scheme only covers about 60% of India's urban population, and the government is considering a follow-up scheme that will cover 100% of the country's urban areas, the minister said, amid ongoing opposition protests over the Pegasus spying scandal and the farmers' issue. Puri, in response to a question about the number of ongoing projects in Karnataka under the Smart Cities Mission, told the media the smart city programme is a one-of-a-kind initiative that is being executed for the first time in the country. Puri informed that it was conceived in May 2014, shortly after the Modi government took office, and announced in June 2015. Puri told the media that the idea was to use technology to bring about ease of living as well as inclusive and long-term development. The 100 smart cities were chosen through a process that was not mandated by the federal government. In conclusion, a competitive bidding system was announced, with all cities wishing to compete for inclusion in the smart cities project being asked to submit specific proposals that they would implement over a five-year period. Image Source Also read: AMRUT programme: New GIS-based masterplan for Panaji