Bengaluru: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said here on Saturday that a total of 26 cities in the State, including Hubballi-Dharwad, Mysuru, Belagavi, and Mangaluru, have been selected for implementing infrastructure development under the Centre’s flagship programme of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). The cities would set the process of urban transformation to enable better living and drive economic growth under this Centre’s programme.

Karnataka would get six ‘Smart Cities’. The State government had been asked to recommend the Centre names of six cities by July-end, said Mr. Naidu addressing the media.

Hubballi-Dharwad, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Davangere, Shivamogga, Ballari, Tumakuru, Hospet, Raichur, Gadag-Betageri, Bidar, Bhadravati, Robbertsonpet in Kolar, Chitradurga, Kolar, Mandya, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Bagalkot, Udupi, Ranebennur, and Gangavati are the cities selected in the programme.

“All these cities/towns having population of more than a lakh had been included in the AMRUT project, which would be implemented on PPP model with equal share of funding by the Centre and the State (50:50). These cities had to encourage people’s participation in the execution of the projects and collect user charges,” said Mr. Naidu.

“Cities willing to accept the reform” have been selected on criteria such as tax collection, revenue growth, employment, and transparency maintained by urban local bodies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the NDA government’s flagship urban projects on June 25 and the Ministry of Urban Development was implementing them.