Smart Cities Mission

Cities or urban areas used to be a melange of cultures, traditions, and practices. In the olden days, cities were trading hubs with lively markets and people with economic vigour. These urban areas were the hot point of social and economic changes, calling for movements and the winds of change since the inception of civilised society.

People from the cities revolted against the oppressive rulers and were responsible for an overall transformation. Hence, cities are an integral part of the world’s broader political, economic, and cultural systems. As we move towards a digital world, cities are rebuilt to become Smart Cities’. Hence, we look at the smart city model and the Indian Smart Cities’ mission.  

Aim of the Smart Cities Mission

The primary aim of the Smart Cities” mission is to ensure and mobilise economic growth and to refine the quality of life for the citizens. The smart city initiative or the Smart Cities’ mission aims to ensure the above-mentioned by developing local areas and harnessing technology that drives the smart city model ahead.  

It applies to 100 cities and undertakes more than 5000 projects with an investment of 2,05,018 Crore Rupees. The Smart Cities’ mission has already completed around 3789 projects with a recovery of 60,692 Crore Rupees.  

The mission was launched on 25 June 2015 by Prime minister Narendra Modi. The Union Ministry of Urban Development is responsible for effectively implementing the mission and vision. It is expected to be completed between the years 2019 and 2023.  

Around 31% of the Indian population lives in the cities and hopefully in Smart Cities’ shortly. Furthermore, this population contributes to around 63% of India’s GDP or Gross Domestic Product.

Moreover, it is expected that cities will accommodate around 40% of the total population since the migration from rural to urban is increasing. Hence, the population growth will demand a better infrastructure to incorporate the needs and wants of all those contributing to the GDP.  

Therefore, the smart city model accepts the Smart Cities’ mission as its only way to survive and tackle the issues of an ever-increasing population.  

Core Elements

The smart city model or the Smart Cities’ mission includes the following elements as its goals: 

• Adequate water supply
• Proper electricity supply 
• Sanitation and solid waste management  
• Simplify urban mobility through effective public transport 
• Inexpensive housing for the economically weaker strata of the society
• Vigorous Information technology infrastructure and digitalisation 
• Ensuring good governance with special concentration on E-governance with effective citizen participation
• Formulating plans for a sustainable environment 
• Sturdy plans for the safety and security of all citizens, primarily women, children and the elderly  
• Advanced healthcare  
• Proper education 

All these elements are to be executed with the ideals of sustainable development and ensuring a smart city model that becomes the flag bearer of other aspiring cities.  

Strategy

As mentioned before, the smart city model aims to cover 100 cities in India. These cities are chosen because there is a potential for great development, and they can hit the given targets.  

The strategy for the retrofitting and redevelopment is simple and is mentioned as follows:  

• Improving the habitability to incorporate the growing population is important. Hence, an area-based development scheme will be employed that will transform the slum areas into better planned residential or commercial areas. This must be done along with the rehabilitation of the slum populations  
• The Greenfield projects will lead to the development of new areas in the city to accommodate the growing population  
• For the overall development of the smart city, new additions or subtractions along with smart solutions to the already existing infrastructure. This will greatly solve the costs as well as labour

Administrative Structure of Smart City

Whether big or small, any unit requires monitoring and organisation for its growth and development. Hence, the smart city model requires monitoring being performed at three levels: 

• National: This will comprise a supreme committee led by the Ministry of Urban Development secretary and other representatives. The chief job of the committee is to approve proposals, keep a check on the progress, release an adequate amount of funds, and monitor the use of these funds
• State: The HPSC, or the High Powered Steering Committee, is headed by the chief secretary of the State; the chief job is to steer the smart city model as a whole
• City: This is an advisory forum situated in all Smart Cities. It includes the district collector, chief executive officer of the SPV or the Special Purpose Vehicle, MPs, MLAs, Mayor, local youth leader and other technical experts, and area representatives. The top job is to release funds at city level and evaluate and monitor the progress

FInancing of the Smart City Model

Any big project requires an immense amount of financing to be completed. Since the Smart Cities’ mission is a centrally sponsored mission, it also requires the State and local bodies to contribute an equal amount. Furthermore, there are multiple sources for funding the various and diverse projects under the purview of the smart city mission.  

• Resources from the Urban local bodies include user fees, beneficiary charges, land earnings, debts, and loans  
• Additional resources were deployed due to the recommendation of the Fourteenth Finance Commission
• Municipal bonds, finance development fund schemes, along with Tax increment financing  
• Borrowing from various financial institutions by maintaining bilateral and multilateral institutions  

Moreover, the smart city mission has a strong interlinking with the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation or, as it is otherwise known, AMRUT. AMRUT follows a project-based approach instead of the area-based approach followed by the smart city model.

Conclusion

Smart Cities’ are hence a powerful tool for the development of the nation. With the development of these Smart Cities’, social and economic development will follow. Smart Cities’ will prove to be an asset to India, driving it ahead on the path to prosperity and greater equality amongst its citizens. Hence, a smart city will prove to be a wind of change for the nation’s development.