The Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has pledged that his government would ensure that in the next four years, the 10 cities that have been selected under the Centre’s Smart Cities Mission will be provided with all the ‘smart elements’, including clean and safe urban environments that would include affordable housing, public transport, health, education, and e-governance.

The Maharashtra cities   selected under the mission include Navi Mumbai, Nashik, Thane, Greater Mumbai, Amravati and Solapur.

Speaking at a Smart City Summit organised by Navbharat, Fadnavis said: “In Maharashtra, we have decided that although the Central government will take up 20 cities this year (under the Smart Cities Mission), which may include one, two or three cities from the State, we will not wait (and go ahead with the projects).”

His government will take up the Smart City mission through its own resources and also by pooling other resources available.

“I know that the entire international community is looking for good investment opportunities. And I think this is one of the best investment opportunities. So, leveraging on that, we would start our Smart City initiative, irrespective of how many cities are being chosen by the Centre this year.”

“In all the 10 cities which we have chosen, will start the Smart City initiatives this year so that in the next four years, we have those elements into these cities,” Fadnavis said. This initiative is for the common man or the have-nots.

“When we use our resources optimally, when we optimise the usage of technology, the costs are cut, efficiency increases, the reach improves and the common man gets the service which he ought to have got and which he has been denied,” said Fadnavis.