Guwahati: Guwahati has risen from rank 97 to 59 among cities chosen to be made smart in terms of progress, Assam’s Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singhal has asserted.
The comment came against the backdrop of a simmering controversy over the city’s low ranking among the smart cities.
"The smart city ranking is 59 and not 97 among 100 cities in the country”, he said. “We were ranked 97th was in March 2021…now, the ranking has changed.”
Singhal has also revealed that they have completed most of the ‘smart city’ projects. “Out of 24 projects, 18 projects have been completed. The rest of the projects will be completed by June 2024".
“Our ranking of Guwahati is much higher than many cities like Kochi, Raipur, Gandhinagar, and Srinagar”, he argued.
A major project on the Brahmaputra riverfront is under construction between Uzanbazaar to Raj Bhawan and will be completed by June 2025.
“In the beginning, work was not up to the standards. But in the last one and a half years, the ranking has improved from 97-59”, Singhal said, adding that the ranking is likely to improve this year.
“Our mission is over now; only the pending works will be completed now”, he said.
The Government of India has launched the Smart Cities Mission on June 25, 2015. The objective is to promote sustainable and inclusive cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment, and the application of 'Smart' Solutions.
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