Smart Cities Mission (SCM): An Evaluation’ Report presented to Lok Sabha

Posted 09 Feb 2024

Updated 16 Mar 2024

2 min read

Report by Parliamentary Standing Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs assesses issues and challenges affecting progress of SCM.

Key issues highlighted in the report
- Project management and implementation: Frequent changing and dropping of projects, lack of adequate financial progress, and intercity disparity in physical progress of implementation.
  - Lack of integrated monitoring mechanism and lack of cross-city learning.
  - Lesser emphasis on core infrastructure projects such as social infrastructure, smart energy, etc.
- Governance and capacity: Frequent transfer of Smart City CEOs, lack of defined governance structure and monitoring capacity, and inadequate consultation with public representatives.
  - Lack of execution capability in smart cities of Himalayan and North-East region and Small UTs.

Recommendations
- Master Plan for Greenfield development should be spearheaded by Union ministry.
- Fixed tenure for CEOs of Smart Cities’ Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs).
- Third party assessment of SCM projects.
- Launch of Phase II of the SCM covering larger number of cities and areas utilizing experience and expertise of SPVs.
- Emphasize more on Pan City projects focusing on implementing technology-driven solutions for ensuring comprehensive and holistic development.

Launched in: 2015
Type: Centrally Sponsored Scheme
Objective: Promote cities that provide core infrastructure, clean and sustainable environment, and give decent quality of life through application of ‘smart solutions’.
Till date, 100 cities selected through City Challenge Process in four rounds.

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