Only 46% projects under Smart Cities Mission completed in six years

Six years post the launch of the Smart Cities Mission (SCM), under which 100 cities from across the country were shortlisted to be developed as smart cities by the centre, only 46% out of around 6,000 projects tendered, have been completed. The 100 smart cities were supposed to be developed within the five years of the scheme's inception, which is between 2015 and 2020. The completed projects are not yet near the halfway mark one year after the deadline ended. Out of the 6,017 projects tendered, only 2,781 have been completed until 9 July, 2021, as per the latest data provided by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. In other words, only 46% of projects have been completed, ever since the Centre launched the SCM on 25 June, 2015, out of the total tendered projects. One hundred selected cities under the Smart City Mission were provided with assured electricity supply, adequate water supply, sanitation, including efficient urban mobility and public transport, solid waste management, and affordable housing, especially for the poor and robust IT connectivity and digitalisation. The selection of 100 Smart Cities was completed from January 2016 to June 2018 through four selection rounds. According to the guidelines of Smart Cities Mission, the Centre must provide financial support to the Mission to the extent of Rs 48,000 crore over five years, which is Rs 100 crore on an average per city per year and an equal amount should be provided by the states or urban local bodies. The government of India has released Rs 23,925.83 crore as the central share to the states, out of which these Smart Cities have utilised Rs 20,410.14 crore, which is around 85%. Image Source Also read: Smart Cities Mission: Projects in Visakhapatnam nears completion Also read: Smart City Mission: Nine projects in Jaipur completed at Rs 142 cr Also read: Thiruvananthapuram Smart City projects near completion