“The ranking is based on different parameters, including completion of Smart City Mission projects, the cumulative value of tenders issued, work completed and utilisation of funds, among others,” an official said. The overall score of the state is 35.61 points.
Four cities from the state, Udaipur, Kota, Ajmer and Jaipur, found spots in the ranking of 100 cities. While Udaipur came 8th, Kota stood at 11th, Ajmer 29th and Jaipur 36th in the 100 city rankings.
Urban development and housing (UDH) minister Shanti Dhariwal said, “The state received Rs 1,845 crore under the Smart City Mission, so far. Out of this, Rs 1,563 crore have been spent on various projects in smart cities. From 405 projects in four cities, 138 of them have been completed by spending Rs 448 crore. Some 178 works are in progress and 17 works worth Rs 145 crore are being processed.”
“Based on discussions with public representatives and smart city guidelines, new public utilities were included in Jaipur, Udaipur, Ajmer and Kota cities. An action plan was prepared for time-bound implementation of works and was effectively monitored. After continuous and regular review of works, they were inspected from time to time. As a result, the momentum could be maintained even during the Covid-19 pandemic,” Dhariwal said.
The Centre has released third and fourth instalments of Rs 100 crore and Rs 50 crore, respectively, for Udaipur. Similarly, for Jaipur and Ajmer, a third instalment of Rs 50 crore each has been released, and for Kota a request for the third instalment has been sent.
“In Jaipur, we will utilise Rs 150 crore to develop Gangauri Hospital, SMS Hospital and Medical College, which are proving to be extremely beneficial for residents during these times. Also, infrastructure of MBS, JK Lon Hospital in Kota and JLN Hospital in Ajmer are being upgraded by utilising smart city funds,” he said.
