Smart City Mission nothing short of deception: Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi [India], March 31 (ANI): Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday slammed the Centre's Smart City Mission, flagging a lack of clean water and air, and safety concerns in cities.
In a statement, the Congress MP highlighted deaths due to contaminated water and collapsing bridges, despite the Centre stating Rs 48,000 crore expenditure to complete 97 per cent of projects under the Smart City Mission.

Rahul Gandhi alleged that the mission was limited to "grand announcements and zero accountability".
In a statement, Rahul Gandhi said, "No city can truly be 'smart' if it fails to provide its citizens with basic dignity, clean water, clean air, and safety. You surely remember the Modi government's Smart Cities Mission, a scheme the Prime Minister never tired of lauding with extravagant praise."
"Now that this scheme is nearing its conclusion, I sought an account from the government in Parliament regarding its actual outcomes. And the truth that emerged can be described as nothing short of a deception: the objective of this scheme was never, in fact, to develop the entire city. The nation was sold a half-baked scheme, packaged as a narrative of total transformation. Questions were asked: What constitutes a 'Smart City'? On what basis was success determined? How many cities were truly transformed? What tangible changes occurred in people's lives? Yet, no clear answers were received," he added.
Gandhi hinted at a "failure" of the mission, despite incurring a huge expenditure.
"We were merely informed that approximately Rs 48,000 crore had been spent, and that 97 per cent of the projects were deemed 'complete.' But if everything is indeed complete, then what exactly has changed in your city? The reality on the ground tells a very different story: Deaths are occurring due to contaminated water and open sewers; Collapsing bridges and caving roads further expose the magnitude of this failure. This scheme serves as a prime example of the Modi government's true modus operandi: grand announcements, even grander publicity, and zero accountability. Search for your city in the list and judge for yourself: Is this truly the 'Smart City'--the very dream--that was sold to you?" he said.
Launched on June 25, 2015, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Smart Cities Mission aims to improve the quality of life in 100 cities by providing efficient services, robust infrastructure, and sustainable solutions. The mission had a total budget of Rs 47,642 crores. (ANI)