Punjab lags in enforcing Smart Cities Mission; only 87% of projects completed in nearly 10 years

Time of India

26-04-2025

Chandigarh: With
Smart Cities Mission
approaching its 10-year milestone, Punjab is lagging behind in project execution. According to the latest
Ecowrap report
by the
State Bank of India
(SBI), the state completed 87% of its smart city projects, notably below the national completion rate of 93%.
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 25, 2015, the Smart Cities Mission was designed to transform 100 cities across India into citizen-centric, sustainable urban centres. The mission aims to provide core infrastructure, a clean and liveable environment, and enhanced quality of life through the integration of smart solutions.
In Punjab, three cities were selected under the initiative. Of the 205 projects sanctioned in the state, amounting to Rs 4,450 crore, 179 projects worth Rs 3,969 crore were completed. However, 26 projects, with a total value of Rs 481 crore, are still pending.
By comparison, 7,504 out of 8,063 approved projects were completed nationwide as of March 4. Neighbouring Himachal Pradesh performed better, with a 91% completion rate. In the hill state, 265 of 291 projects worth Rs 1,552 crore across two smart cities were executed, amounting to Rs 1,206 crore in completed works.
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At the top of the performance chart is Jharkhand with 100% project completion, followed by Tamil Nadu (98%), and West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Gujarat, each recording 97% completion. On the lower end, Telangana ranks last with a 64% completion rate, followed by Manipur (70%), Mizoram (71%), and Arunachal Pradesh (73%).
At the national level, nearly 50% of the total project cost under the Smart Cities Mission has been allocated to mobility and water/sanitation-related projects, covering over 3,000 initiatives. On average, Rs 22 crore has been spent per project.
The Smart Cities Mission is a centrally sponsored scheme, requiring equal financial contributions from both state govt and urban local bodies (ULBs). States are encouraged to leverage multiple funding avenues, including state/ULB resources, transfers under the 14th Finance Commission, municipal bonds, pooled finance, and borrowing from financial institutions, to fund the projects outlined in their smart city proposals (SCPs).
Despite its slow progress, Punjab is expected to gain from a new Indo-Canadian partnership aimed at fast-tracking smart city development. Under this initiative, 20 cities across Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan are being prioritised for accelerated reforms in governance and infrastructure. The initiative will focus on training at least 150 urban planners and designers and developing localised platforms and tools to improve planning, implementation, and delivery of services, particularly in areas such as water supply and sewerage.
Chandigarh: With Smart Cities Mission approaching its 10-year milestone, Punjab is lagging behind in project execution. According to the latest Ecowrap report by the State Bank of India (SBI), the state completed 87% of its smart city projects, notably below the national completion rate of 93%.
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 25, 2015, the Smart Cities Mission was designed to transform 100 cities across India into citizen-centric, sustainable urban centres. The mission aims to provide core infrastructure, a clean and liveable environment, and enhanced quality of life through the integration of smart solutions.
In Punjab, three cities were selected under the initiative. Of the 205 projects sanctioned in the state, amounting to Rs 4,450 crore, 179 projects worth Rs 3,969 crore were completed. However, 26 projects, with a total value of Rs 481 crore, are still pending.
By comparison, 7,504 out of 8,063 approved projects were completed nationwide as of March 4. Neighbouring Himachal Pradesh performed better, with a 91% completion rate. In the hill state, 265 of 291 projects worth Rs 1,552 crore across two smart cities were executed, amounting to Rs 1,206 crore in completed works.
At the top of the performance chart is Jharkhand with 100% project completion, followed by Tamil Nadu (98%), and West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Gujarat, each recording 97% completion. On the lower end, Telangana ranks last with a 64% completion rate, followed by Manipur (70%), Mizoram (71%), and Arunachal Pradesh (73%).
At the national level, nearly 50% of the total project cost under the Smart Cities Mission has been allocated to mobility and water/sanitation-related projects, covering over 3,000 initiatives. On average, Rs 22 crore has been spent per project.
The Smart Cities Mission is a centrally sponsored scheme, requiring equal financial contributions from both state govt and urban local bodies (ULBs). States are encouraged to leverage multiple funding avenues, including state/ULB resources, transfers under the 14th Finance Commission, municipal bonds, pooled finance, and borrowing from financial institutions, to fund the projects outlined in their smart city proposals (SCPs).
Despite its slow progress, Punjab is expected to gain from a new Indo-Canadian partnership aimed at fast-tracking smart city development. Under this initiative, 20 cities across Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan are being prioritised for accelerated reforms in governance and infrastructure. The initiative will focus on training at least 150 urban planners and designers and developing localised platforms and tools to improve planning, implementation, and delivery of services, particularly in areas such as water supply and sewerage.