Command, control centres of 100 smart cities will be operational by Aug 2022: Centre

Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that command and control centres of all 100 smart cities will be operational by August 15 this year.

New Delhi: Command and control centres of all 100 smart cities will be operational by August 15 this year, Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday.

Responding to supplementaries during Question Hour, he said the command and control centres in 75 smart cities are already operational.

Meanwhile, several members complained about not being invited to meetings of the Smart City Director Board chaired by chief secretaries of the respective states.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla shared the concerns of the members regarding absence of invitations to parliamentarians for meetings related to the development of smart cities.

"You give directions to the state governments to invite members of parliament for the meetings," he said addressing the urban affairs minister.

Congress member Hibi Eden said he had received invitations and also attended meetings of the city-level advisory committee where proposals for smart cities are mooted. He also demanded that members be invited to the Smart City Director Board.

Puri said the demand of the members could be discussed. Also Read: Realtors' hail RBI policy: Low interest rate on home loan to drive housing demand

He said the implementation of the smart cities mission has been extended up to June 2023 and all projects, including Thiruvananthapuram, will be completed within the stipulated time. Also Read: 44 unicorns in 2020-21 a sign of 'Amrit Kal', says FM Nirmala Sitharaman in Lok Sabha