Madhya Pradesh to create 12 mini smart cities

he Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government will create 12 mini smart cities to complement the five smart cities in Madhya Pradesh, a top state official said on Sunday.

The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government will create 12 mini smart cities to complement the five smart cities in Madhya Pradesh, a top state official said on Sunday.

These towns will have better transport services, Wi-Fi connectivity, better garbage management practices etc. (Representational image)

Urban administrations and development department commissioner Vivek Agrawal told Hindustan Times that 12 towns will be selected from all across the state and they will be developed on the lines of smart city.

Maihar, a temple town in Satna district, is the first town to be chosen for the mini smart city project.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had promised to develop the town in the run-up to the Maihar assembly bypoll earlier this year. The names of the remaining 11 towns will be announced in November, Agrawal said.

“Under the chief minister’s infrastructure development scheme, Rs 300 crore was earmarked for developing 12 towns into mini-smart cities. The state government will grant Rs 25 crore to each municipality. It will be on the similar lines of the Centre’s smart city mission. The mini smart cities will have area-based development projects and pan city initiatives like smart cities,” he said.

The municipal bodies will set up special purpose vehicles and raise more funds for development for the purpose, Agarwal said.

These towns will have better transport services, Wi-Fi connectivity, better garbage management practices etc, he said.

Urban development, principal secretary Malay Shrivastava said a major population of the state resides in middle and small towns.

“The habitats cannot be deprived of development and for this, different activities are being run under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Mukhyamantri Adhosaranchna Vikas Yojana,” he said.