The state government is yet to hear from the Centre about the state’s proposal to develop at least ten cities in Karnataka, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Smart Cities Project, Urban Development Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake said here on Saturday.
Sorake told reporters, “We are very much looking forward to the guidelines to be issued by the Centre to include at least 10 of state’s main cities in the Union’s flagship programme.â€
The Union cabinet, last week, had cleared the 100-Smart Cities project, which according to it would herald a new era in development of urban infrastructure.
The size of the population, scope for economic activities are among the parameters which would qualify to bring cities and towns under the project, he added.
The minister further added that Karnataka had already sent names of different cities and towns to be developed under the project, which included Ramanagaram, Channapatna, Devanahalli and Tumakuru under the category of civic bodies, which have a population of less than 5 lakh. Kalaburagi, Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mangaluru, Vijayapura, Udupi and Hosapete are the other cities, he added.
Replying to questions, he said the state government is seriously considering to upgrade many town municipal councils to city municipalities shortly.
The state government had upgraded 54 village panchayats to town municipal panchayats recently, he said.
Sorake expressed dismay that the Union government had slashed the grants by over 50 per cent towards various infrastructure development works.
“The NDA government’s decision to reduce grants has brought immense pressure on the state’s exchequer as it had to spend over Rs 6,400 crore, committed towards development of various infrastructure projects,†he said.
