2 months ago
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Congress person Rahul Gandhi attacked the Modi authorities connected Tuesday (March 31, 2026) implicit its Smart Cities Mission, alleging the scheme's nonsubjective was ne'er to make the full metropolis and the federation was sold a "half-baked scheme", packaged arsenic a communicative of full transformation.
The Leader of Opposition successful the Lok Sabha said this strategy serves arsenic a premier illustration of the Modi government's "true modus operandi" — expansive announcements, adjacent grander publicity, and zero accountability.
"No metropolis tin genuinely beryllium 'smart' if it fails to supply its citizens with basal dignity — cleanable water, cleanable air, and safety. You surely retrieve the Modi government's Smart Cities Mission - a strategy the Prime Minister ne'er bushed of lauding with extravagant praise!" Mr. Gandhi said successful a station connected his WhatsApp channel.
"Now that this strategy is nearing its conclusion, I sought an relationship from the authorities successful Parliament regarding its existent outcomes. And the information that emerged tin beryllium described arsenic thing abbreviated of a deception: the nonsubjective of this strategy was never, successful fact, to make the full city," helium said.
The federation was sold a half-baked scheme, packaged arsenic a communicative of full transformation, Mr. Gandhi said.
Mr. Gandhi pointed retired that the questions helium asked were: what constitutes a 'Smart City', connected what ground was occurrence determined, however galore cities were genuinely transformed and what tangible changes occurred successful people's lives.
Mr. Gandhi claimed that nary wide answers were received.
"We were simply informed that astir ₹48,000 crore had been spent, and that 97% of the projects were deemed 'complete'. But if everything is so complete, past what precisely has changed successful your city? The world connected the crushed tells a precise antithetic story: Deaths are occurring owed to contaminated h2o and unfastened sewers; Collapsing bridges and caving roads further exposure the magnitude of this failure," helium said.
"This strategy serves arsenic a premier illustration of the Modi government's existent modus operandi: expansive announcements, adjacent grander publicity, and zero accountability," Mr. Gandhi said and urged radical to hunt for their metropolis successful the database and justice for themselves.
"Is this genuinely the 'Smart City'' the precise imagination that was sold to you?" Mr. Gandhi said.
His remarks travel days aft helium posed questions successful the Lok Sabha to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs connected the Smart Cities Mission (SCM).
In his questions, Mr. Gandhi asked what the full magnitude of funds sanctioned, released and utilised nether the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) is since its inception, city-wise; and the details of the measurable indicators utilized to measure wide accomplishment of the said Mission astatine the nationalist level, arsenic good arsenic the details of the Mission's show thereon.
Mr. Gandhi besides asked what measurable indicators were utilized for determining whether a metropolis was successfully converted into a Smart City and the fig of cities that had met this criteria.
He had besides asked whether the Government maintains immoderate comparative appraisal of cities based connected these indicators and if so, the database of 10 highest-performing cities; and whether immoderate autarkic appraisal has been conducted to measure the interaction of the said Mission successful improving municipality infrastructure, sustainability and prime of beingness and if so, the findings thereof.
Mr. Gandhi asked whether the authorities considers the 100 cities selected nether the said Mission to beryllium Smart Cities now, and if so, the criteria connected which specified appraisal is based.
In his reply, Minister of State successful the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Tokhan Sahu, said that nether the Mission, retired of the Central Government's allocation of ₹48,000 crore, the 100 cities selected nether the ngo person been capable to assertion Central Financial Assistance of ₹47,458 Crore (i.e. 99% of the full Central stock allocation for cities).
"As reported by the States/UTs, arsenic connected 01.03.2026, an magnitude of ₹46,326 crore has been utilised (i.e. 98% of the full Central Financial Assistance released for the cities). Under SCM, a full of 8,064 projects amounting to ₹1,64,811 crore were taken up since inception of the mission, retired of which 7,784 projects (97% of full projects undertaken) worthy ₹1,56,159 Crore person been completed and 280 projects amounting to ₹8,652 Cr are astatine implementation stage," Mr. Sahu said.
The Minister further said the nonsubjective of SCM was not the improvement of full metropolis but to travel an area-based improvement attack done retrofitting, redevelopment, greenfield improvement and a pan-city inaugural successful which astute solutions are applied covering larger parts of the city, truthful arsenic to make a replicable model.
"NITI Aayog successful its study titled 'Evaluation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes successful Urban Transformation Sector and Skill Development' published successful September 2025, has concluded that the SCM Mission has demonstrated beardown relevance to India's Urban needs, with its objectives aligning with nationalist improvement agendas and SDGs," helium said.
Mr. Sahu besides shared city/UT-wise details of Central Financial Assistance claimed, utilised and presumption of projects nether SCM.
