New Delhi/ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Centre on Thursday announced the names of 98 cities selected for the Modi government's flagship smart cities project, which includes only Kochi from Kerala, but surprisingly Mumbai, Bengaluru and Patna don't figure in the list.
The names of the cities selected for the Rs 48,000- crore project was released by the Centre pending a nomination each from Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the ambitious project with announcement of criteria and guidelines for 100 smart cities to be selected through city challenge competition in June 25.
While Jammu and Kashmir has to nominate one city, UP has got slots for 13 cities to be proposed as smart cities based on the urban population and number of notified cities.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the government would examine the Centre’s decision to grant just one smart city to the state. “We will examine in detail the parameters which were taken into consideration by the union government allotting smart cities to various states. We are awaiting the details,” he told DC.
When asked how Kerala which had a better infrastructure and other factors got just one and neighbouring Tamil Nadu got 12, he said the government would examine the matter in detail.
He, however, refused to say anything on whether there was politics in deciding the smart cities. The state would take up the matter with the Centre only after examining the parameters, he said.
Former finance minister T.M. Thomas Isaac termed the decision discriminatory. “We have more than 50 per cent urban population and in such a situation the Centre should have given us greater support. But I think they are wooing the AIADMK,” he said and added that ever since the Planning Commission was abolished, the Centre, through Niti Ayog, was taking many discriminatory decisions.
Even other states have protested against the discrimination. For instance, the Centre has given only one smart city for Himachal Pradesh and that too in Dharamsala. The highly urbanised city and state capital Shimla is left out.
Many say Shimla was not picked for political reasons as the city corporation is ruled by the CPM. “It is pure political discrimination. Shimla stood a far better chance than Dharamsala.
Our Mayor and Commissioner were on the steering committee, but they were never invited to attend any meeting. Since the entire process was competitive, the decision could be challenged legally if there is discrimination. We will take up the matter with Venkaiah Naidu,” said Tikender Singh Panwar, Deputy Mayor of Shimla.
