Cabinet nod for smart cities soon; roll-out next month: Naidu

Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today said the Cabinet is likely to clear the government's flagship smart city project soon and it will be rolled out from next month.
"The Expenditure Finance Committee has cleared it. It is likely to go to the Cabinet any time this month," Naidu said at an event organised by CII here.
"This thing will be approved and it will be rolled from the next month onwards and then the competition, race will start ... Cities must qualify themselves (by standards, sanitation, revenue, infrastructure) and once that is done then I will be coming to you (industry) and you will be coming to me and then we have a system, we have open offer," he said.

The Centre will be a facilitator with regard to smart cities and government will do the hand holding, he told the industry promising all support in implementation of projects they identify.
Lot of companies are showing interest because now the government has allowed FDI, he added.
As far as housing for all is concerned, Naidu said the Cabinet has approved it earlier but there was a need for comprehensive housing policy for both urban and rural segments.
'Housing for All' scheme targets construction of houses for all by 2022.
"Both Ministers (Urban Development and Rural Development) sat together and then gave inputs to Finance Ministry and now Finance Ministry is considering it," he said.