Indore is best city, Madhya Pradesh best state at Indian Smart Cities Award Contest

INDORE: Indore bagged the top spot in the National Smart Cities category while Madhya Pradesh was declared ‘Best State’ at the Indian Smart Cities Conclave 2023 being held in the city of Indore on Wednesday.

President Droupadi Murmu felicitated the winners of the fourth edition of the India Smart Cities Award Contest (ISAC) 2022. The ISAC has been organised under the Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, since 2018.

https://x.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/1706965875612655768?s=20

Addressing the event, the President expressed her happiness over the increase in the country’s overall investment in urban development. Applauding the move, she said that our country’s overall investment in urban development has, over the last decade, been more than 10 times what it was earlier. “The contribution of Smart Cities Mission in implementing best practices and developing viable business models is very important”, she said.

President Murmu also talked about the focus of G20 on areas pertaining to urban development. She said that Urban 20, which is a sub-group of the G20, attempted to establish a sustainable practice of connectivity between cities.

“Through this, a collective message was also given that the management of cities has an important role in pursuing the priority of sustainable development. Therefore, we should learn from the best practices and business models of the world’s best-managed cities and also share our successful efforts with other countries. Collaboration at local and global levels is essential for overall and sustainable development”, she added.

https://x.com/ANI/status/1706921363007795516?s=20

Noting the significance of Integrated Command and Control Centers (ICCCs) in smart cities, the President said that all the 100 smart cities have ICCCs which are taking decisions using data. The CCTV surveillance cameras are helping to strengthen law and order today. “But there is a need to take more strong steps specially to ensure the safety of women. I am confident that the efforts being made in these 100 smart cities will prove very useful for our more than 4,800 towns and cities”, President Murmu said.

Addressing the gathering, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri shared Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s transformational vision for planned urbanisation. He highlighted that the Smart Cities Mission embodies the PM’s vision for a ‘New Urban India’ and it is a key component of India’s objective of becoming a developed country by 2047.

Complimenting the city of Indore for its excellence in urban governance, Hardeep Puri said that the city is synonymous with winning awards and accolades. It has also pioneered innovations in waste management, carbon credits, digital technology, and public open spaces. Indore has been a model of urban governance and civic participation for cities not just in India, but across the world. The city has set a new benchmark for consistency, he said.

A total of 7,934 projects worth Rs 171,044 crore have been sanctioned and 6,069 projects worth Rs 1,10,794 crore completed under the Smart City Mission. Another 1,865 projects worth Rs 60,250 crore are on track for completion by June 2024. (ANI)