Rs. 98,000 Cleared for 100 Smart Cities Program in India (AMRUT)

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved Modi government's two flagship schemes - 100 smart cities and urban rejuvenation programme for 500 towns and cities. The idea is to recast the urban landscape and to make such areas more livable and inclusive, besides driving economic growth. The government cleared a total central outlay of Rs 98,000 crore to execute these schemes in the next five years. Work is to be undertaken for smaller cities and towns with one lakh or more population under a new scheme named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee - Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). Centre will spend Rs 50,000 crore for this scheme. This will be the new scheme in place of JNNURM named after India's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru during UPA rule.

Read more @ Times of India

Cost of Making Cities Environmentally Smart (for air pollution) - currently not discussed in the 100 smart cities program.