Smart city plan: Government agrees on criteria for selection, ranking and financing models

The government’s initiative for creating 100 smart cities achieved a major milestone on Saturday as the stakeholders came out with the criteria for the selection and ranking of cities and also broadly agreed on innovative financing models and urban governance reforms to be implemented as part of the project.

The way forward emerged after intense discussions at a two-day ‘Consultation Workshop of States and Stakeholders on Smart Cities’, which concluded here on Saturday. Among the basic eligibility conditions suggested by the states and other stakeholders for participation in the ‘Smart City Challenge’ were the need for a vision and city development strategy, progress under Swachh Bharat Mission, timely payment of salaries to municipal staff, information and grievance redressal mechanism and e-newsletter.

The important stakeholder consultations were organised by the Urban Development Ministry upon the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the states on board before proceeding further with a the launch of the smart city initiative.

The final recommendations of states and other stakeholders were presented at the concluding plenary session chaired by the Minister of State for Urban Development, Babul Supriyo.

Principal secretaries and municipal commissioners from about 25 states took part in the deliberations along with industry representatives.

For the further ranking of cities for final selection, the states have suggested the parameters and respective weightages that include self-financing ability (25 per cent weightage), institutional systems and capacities (25 per cent), existing service levels and committed plan of action for three years (25 per cent), past track record in implementing reforms (15 per cent) and quality of vision document (10 per cent).