Union Urban Development Ministry on Saturday asked the States and Urban local Bodies (UlB) to provide for Piped Natural Gas (PNG) supply and CNG stations in the cities selected for development as Smart Cities.
The Ministry has also asked them to ensure convergence of various schemes of the Central Government aimed at enhancing energy supply and related infrastructure in the Smart City Plans under preparation.
The Ministry conveyed these directives to the States and UlBs at a ‘Smart City Proposal Enhancement Workshop’ organised by it.
Additional Secretary in the Urban Development Ministry Sameer Sharma informed the States and UlBs that Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a recent meeting of the NITI Ayog desired PNG supply and convergence of Digital India and energy-related schemes in Smart Cities being developed.
Sharma made it clear to States and UlBs that all claims regarding initiatives so far taken and proposed to be taken for smart city development should be substantiated by necessary evidence and the deadline for submission of Smart City Plans by December 15 will not be extended. Ministries of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Power, New and Renewable Energy and Department of Electronics and Information Technology made detailed presentations on various schemes that could be converged under smart city development for better results.