New Delhi: The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has declared Madhya Pradesh’s Indore as the best city and Madhya Pradesh as the best state in the Smart Cities Mission under India Smart Cities Awards 2022.

Among cities, Surat in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh’s Agra secured the second and third positions respectively, while Tamil Nadu clinched the second spot among states, and Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh jointly shared the third position.

President Droupadi Murmu is set to present the awards to the 66 winners across various categories on September 27 in Indore.

The evaluation of cities was based on their advancement in project implementation, project outcomes, and the presentations submitted for consideration.

Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri praised Madhya Pradesh for executing 779 multi-sectoral projects worth Rs 15,696 crore, significantly enhancing the quality of life for citizens.

Indore, recognized as the cleanest city under the Swachh Bharat Mission for six consecutive years, has also been at the forefront in the Smart Cities awards.

It previously shared the top position with Surat.

Coimbatore received recognition for its model roads and lake restoration projects, while Jabalpur earned accolades for its incubation center.

Chandigarh secured top honours for public bike-sharing and e-governance initiatives, emerging victorious in the mobility and governance categories.

Chandigarh was also declared the overall winner in the Union Territory category.

The Smart Cities Mission, initiated in 2015, has witnessed significant progress, with 76% of the proposed projects worth Rs. 1.10 lakh crore already completed in the 100 selected cities.

The remaining projects, valued at Rs. 60,095 crore, are anticipated to be finished by June 30, 2024, as per a Ministry statement.

The mission's deadline was extended to the following year to ensure the completion of all projects in the 100 cities.

“Most notable milestone achieved in the Mission has been, the Integrated Command and Control Centers (ICCC) which is operational in all 100 Smart Cities. These ICCCs work as the brain and nervous system for city operations, using technology for urban management. The urban services have significantly improved in diverse fields like crime tracking, safety & security of citizens, transport management, solid waste management, water supply, disaster management etc,” the Ministry said.