Officials have stated that the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) has been extended for an additional year until June 2024 by the Union housing and urban affairs ministry to finish the outstanding work, marking the second extension.An official stated that they had received requests from cities and Members of Parliament to allow more time to finish the approved projects.The Smart Cities Mission was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2015, aimed at selecting 100 cities in two phases. Initially, the first phase of work under the mission was to be completed by June 2021.A second official stated that the cities were chosen in two phases, and the implementation of development work began at least 18 months after the selection process, as cities needed to form Special Purpose Vehicles and fulfill other requirements. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a delay in the timely completion of the projects, and as a result, the mission was extended until June 30, 2023.According to the Ministry, a sum of ₹1,81,322 crore has been allocated for a total of 7,804 projects under the Smart Cities Mission in 100 cities. As of February, the ministry reported that 72% of the projects, worth ₹1,07,000 crore, were scheduled to be completed by April 30, 2023.Under the Smart Cities Mission, all 100 cities have established Integrated Command and Control Centres to implement data-centric solutions and enhance municipal services. Additionally, 232 infrastructure development projects with a value of ₹15,006 crore have been initiated in 53 of the smart cities. These projects include multi-modal transport hubs, multi-level car parking, bike sharing, and more.Officials stated that the mission has been allocated ₹8000 crore for the fiscal year 2023-24 and this budget is considered adequate to finish the approved projects.The Smart Cities Mission has seen the completion of 1,104 smart mobility projects with a value of ₹22,785 crore, while 526 projects are currently in advanced stages of development. Additionally, 984 public spaces have been developed at a cost of ₹5,861 crore, and work is ongoing to develop an additional 343 such spaces.According to a third official, the selection process of cities under the Smart Cities Mission was completed in June 2018 in two stages. It took time for cities to form Special Purpose Vehicles and plan projects, which caused delays. However, the official stated that most cities have now progressed to the advanced stages of development work.
