<span style="color: #222222;">Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Puri has said that Smart Cities Mission aims to provide core infrastructure, clean and sustainable environment and give decent quality of life to citizens through application of Smart Solutions. He was speaking during the Consultative Committee meeting of his Ministry in the Parliament House Annexe yesterday.<br />'' <br />'' Mr. Puri said, 100 cities have been selected to be developed as smart cities through a two stage National competition. The Minister said, Smart Cities Mission is a centrally sponsored scheme under which the Central Government will provide financial support to the extent of 48 thousand crores over five years. He said the Mission aims to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life through comprehensive work on social, economic, physical and institutional pillars of the city.<br />''<br />''The Minister also stated that smart cities have played important role in managing the crises during Covid-19. With Integrated Command and Control Centres being used as Covid-19 War Room, they have helped in the area of information, communication, management and preparedness.</span>