Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched three schemes which promise to transform our cities. Somehow, most of the proposals sound like a re-packaging of what the UPA had planned for cities with limited success. The only difference is that the UPA’s ‘Jawaharlal Nehru’ becomes the NDA’s ‘Atal’. The fundamental issue in any development plan is funding, which is always scarce. The Modi Government has invited foreign and private investments, but there is no concrete success here. It is said that ‘smart cities’ will get `100 crore — this amount will not last beyond the blueprint stage. Our politicians need to realise that almost all Indian cities need to be re-build. Many cities, including State capitals, still don’t have basic utilities like piped water and sewage systems.
