PM Modi launches ‘Smart City Mission’ projects in Pune

Marking the first anniversary of the announcement of the government’s flagship programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched the ‘Smart City Mission’ projects from Pune’s 5,000-capacity Shiv Chatrapati Sports Complex. Apart from the Pune’s projects, as many as 69 such works will be launched on the same day in the other ‘smart cities’ entailing a total investment of about Rs 1,770 crore. These projects are related to solid waste management under Swachh Bharat Mission, water supply projects, sewage treatment plants and development of open and green spaces under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). It would also include housing projects for urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and area development and technology based pan-city solutions under Smart Cities Mission, the release said. Modi will also inaugurate ‘Make Your City SMART’ contest, aimed at involving citizens in designing smart cities, with a reward ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs one lakh for winners. Here are the highlights: # Don’t know from where this new philosophy comes from and because of this Maharashtra has faced lot of losses: PM Modi # This Smart city project in itself is a mass movement, and this experiment has been successful: PM Modi in Pune # People of India are very smart. Once their skills are harnessed then see wonders that will happen: PM Modi in Pune # Size of roads and builds aren’t the only way to evaluate a city. Every city has a distinct identity: PM Modi. # Cities have the ability to digest/absorb poor people and that is why people from villages migrate to cities in large nos: PM Modi # There was a time when urbanisation was considered as a problem but I think urbanisation must be considered as an opportunity: PM Modi # There is a positive atmosphere,of competing on development works & that too in the spirit Besides Maharashtra’s Pune, other cities whose projects would be launched include Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Bhubaneswar (Odisha), Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), Jaipur (Rajasthan), Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), Kochi (Kerala) and Belagavi (Karnataka).