NEW DELHI, Mar 31: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday criticised the Union government over the Smart Cities Mission, alleging that the initiative was misrepresented and failed to deliver comprehensive urban development.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the programme did not aim to transform entire cities, but was instead presented as a large-scale reform effort. He described it as a “half-baked scheme” promoted through extensive publicity without sufficient accountability.
In a message shared on his WhatsApp channel, Gandhi said that no city could be termed “smart” if basic needs such as clean water, air quality and public safety remain unaddressed. He argued that the initiative was projected as a complete transformation, while its actual scope was limited.
Raising concerns over the implementation, Gandhi said he sought details in Parliament regarding the scheme’s outcomes, including criteria for defining a smart city, performance benchmarks and measurable impact on citizens’ lives. He claimed that clear answers were not provided.
According to Gandhi, the government cited expenditure of around Rs 48,000 crore and near-completion of projects, but he questioned the real change on the ground. He alleged that issues such as unsafe infrastructure, water contamination and civic failures continue to affect urban areas.
The Congress leader said the programme reflects what he called the government’s pattern of making ambitious announcements backed by strong publicity, but lacking follow-through in execution.
His remarks come after he raised a series of questions in the Lok Sabha directed at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, seeking detailed data on fund allocation, utilisation, performance indicators and independent evaluation of the mission.
Responding in Parliament, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu said that nearly the entire central allocation of Rs 48,000 crore has been released to the 100 selected cities, with a significant portion already utilised.
The minister informed that thousands of projects have been undertaken under the mission, with a majority completed and the rest under implementation. He clarified that the scheme was designed with an area-based development approach, focusing on selected zones within cities rather than full urban coverage.
Citing an evaluation report by NITI Aayog, Sahu stated that the mission aligns with national development priorities and has shown relevance in addressing urban challenges.
The exchange highlights continuing political debate over the effectiveness and impact of flagship urban development programmes.