13 UP cities in reckoning for Smart City project

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh has sent out a list of 13 cities to the Government of India for development as Smart Cities. Apart from state capital Lucknow, seven cities from western UP—Ghaziabad, Meerut, Aligarh, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Bareilly, Agra, and Rampur—have made the cut for being considered as Smart Cities under guidelines prescribed by the Centre. Other UP cities whose names have been sent for consideration include Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s parliamentary constituency Varanasi, besides Jhansi, Allahabad, and Kanpur. Union cabinet has set aside Rs 48,000 crore for developing 100 smart cities across 21 districts over the next five years. UP has the highest share of cities, 13, followed closely by Tamil Nadu with 12 cities and 10 of Maharashtra. As part of this initiative, the cabinet has also set aside Rs 50,000 crore for rejuvenation of 500 cities under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).