Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 29: Although the state government had demanded inclusion of five cities in the newly launched ‘Smart City’ Mission, the Centre has decided to sanction two.
“We have demanded five municipal corporations–Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur and Rourkela – be included under the mission. However, the Centre has agreed to include two cities from state on the basis of 50:50 weightage formula to urban population and number of statutory towns,” said housing and urban development minister Puspendra Singh Deo here Monday, adding, a statutory town is one that has a notified municipal body.
However, the Centre has not identified the cities so far. Selection of potential smart city will depend on a two-stage competition: First stage of competition is intra-state. The state government would shortlist two cities based on the conditions and the criteria prescribed by the Union ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation, he said.
In the second stage, the state government will submit the proposals to the Centre and the Union government will evaluate the smart city proposal by attributing 30 per cent weightage to preparedness of the city and 70 per cent weightage to merits of the proposal, the minister said.
As per the scheme, the Centre will sanction Rs100 crore every year to each selected city for five years and the state government or the concerned civic body will have to contribute equal amount for the project.
Besides, the state shall have to create a special purpose vehicle (SPV) in the city for execution of all projects with equal share from state and the concerned civic body, the provision for the scheme stipulated. A secretary rank officer will be appointed as mission director. The state-level high power steering committee to be constituted will be headed by chief secretary to monitor the projects.
Moreover, the Centre has included nine cities, each comprising more than one lakh population under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transmission (AMRUT). The identified cities are: Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Puri, Balasore, Bhadrak and Baripada. Under the AMRUT mission the state government is required to provide 50 per cent of the total project cost, sources indicated.
