New Delhi
A Parliamentary Committee has noted contrasting differences in the completion of targets in different cities under the flagship ‘Smart City Mission’ (SCM). The panel has found that 68 Smart Cities have not achieved their physical targets under the Mission by the end of January, 2023.
On one hand, 32 Smart Cities have completed more than the number of projects planned for the implementation under SCM and in some cases even four times more than the actual target. On the other hand, remaining 68 Smart Cities are yet to meet the project completion targets wherein the performance of some cities is quite dismal. Therefore, the total number of completed projects gives a misleading picture because it also takes into account the excess projects accomplished by 32 performing Smart Cities.
The Committee is of the opinion that if the number of excess projects is removed from the total completed projects then the actual number of projects completed under 36 the Mission would be far less than projected as on 31.01.2023, said the Demands for Grants report (2023-24) by the Standing committee on Housing and urban Affairs. As regards financial allocation released by the Ministry, it has been informed that out of overall financial support to the Mission, that is, Rs 48,000 crore, Smart Cities Mission has already released Rs 36,561 crore, out of which Rs 33,012 crore (90 per cent of total released) have been utilized by the smart cities.
