'Nation was sold a half-baked scheme: Rahul slams govt on Smart Cities Mission

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacked the Modi government on Tuesday over its Smart Cities Mission, alleging the scheme's objective was never to develop the entire city and the nation was sold a "half-baked scheme", packaged as a narrative of total transformation.

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said this scheme serves as a prime example of the Modi government's "true modus operandi" - grand announcements, even grander publicity, and zero accountability.

"No city can truly be 'smart' if it fails to provide its citizens with basic dignity -“ clean water, clean air, and safety. You surely remember the Modi government's Smart Cities Mission - a scheme the Prime Minister never tired of lauding with extravagant praise!" Gandhi said in a post on his WhatsApp channel.

"Now that this scheme is nearing its conclusion, I sought an account from the government in Parliament regarding its actual outcomes. And the truth that emerged can be described as nothing short of a deception: the objective of this scheme was never, in fact, to develop the entire city," he said.

The nation was sold a half-baked scheme, packaged as a narrative of total transformation, Gandhi said.

Gandhi pointed out that the questions he asked were - what constitutes a 'Smart City', on what basis was success determined, how many cities were truly transformed and what tangible changes occurred in people's lives.

Gandhi claimed that no clear answers were received.

"We were merely informed that approximately Rs 48,000 crore had been spent, and that 97% of the projects were deemed 'complete'. But if everything is indeed complete, then what exactly has changed in your city?

"The reality on the ground tells a very different story: Deaths are occurring due to contaminated water and open sewers; Collapsing bridges and caving roads further expose the magnitude of this failure," he said.

"This scheme serves as a prime example of the Modi government's true modus operandi: grand announcements, even grander publicity, and zero accountability," Gandhi said and urged people to search for their city in the list and judge for themselves.

"Is this truly the 'Smart City'' the very dream that was sold to you?" Gandhi said.

His remarks come days after he posed questions in the Lok Sabha to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on the Smart Cities Mission (SCM).

In his questions, Gandhi asked what is the total amount of funds sanctioned, released and utilised under the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) since its inception, city-wise; and the details of the measurable indicators used to assess overall achievement of the said Mission at the national level as well as the details of the Mission's performance thereon.

Gandhi also asked what measurable indicators were used for determining whether a city was successfully converted into a Smart City and the number of cities that had met this criteria.

He had also asked whether the Government maintains any comparative assessment of cities based on these indicators and if so, the list of ten highest-performing cities; and whether any independent assessment has been conducted to evaluate the impact of the said Mission in improving urban infrastructure, sustainability and quality of life and if so, the findings thereof.

Gandhi asked whether the government considers the hundred cities selected under the said Mission to be Smart Cities now and if so, the criteria on which such assessment is based.

In his reply, Minister of State in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu said that under the Mission, out of Central Government's allocation of Rs 48,000 crore, the 100 cities selected under the mission have been able to claim Central Financial Assistance of Rs 47,458 Crore (i.e. 99% of the total Central share allocation for cities).

"As reported by the States/UTs, as on 01.03.2026, an amount of Rs 46,326 crore has been utilized (i.e. 98% of the total Central Financial Assistance released for the cities). Under SCM, a total 8,064 projects amounting to Rs 1,64,811 crore were taken up since inception of the mission, out of which 7,784 projects (97% of total projects undertaken) worth Rs 1,56,159 Crore have been completed and 280 projects amounting to Rs 8,652 Cr are at implementation stage," Sahu said.

The minister further said the objective of SCM was not the development of entire city but to follow an area-based development approach through retrofitting, redevelopment, greenfield development and a pan-city initiative in which smart solutions are applied covering larger parts of the city, so as to create a replicable model.

"NITI Aayog in its report titled 'Evaluation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes in Urban Transformation Sector and Skill Development' published in September 2025, has concluded that the SCM Mission has demonstrated strong relevance to India's Urban needs, with its objectives aligning with national development agendas and SDGs," he said.

Sahu also shared city/UT wise details of Central Financial Assistance claimed,

utilised and status of projects under SCM.