There is no budgetary allocation under Smart City Mission for this financial year.
Maharashtra’s cities under the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) are approaching the final stretch of implementation, with more than 94 per cent of sanctioned projects completed. However, projects worth over ₹1,555 crore remain unfinished, highlighting uneven progress across cities and sectors.
According to official data, Maharashtra’s eight smart cities were allotted 347 projects worth ₹16,980 crore. Of these, 328 projects costing ₹15,424.89 crore have been completed, while 19 projects involving ₹1,555.38 crore are still ongoing.
In 2014, PM Narendra Modi had promised to build 100 smart cities across India and cities from Maharashtra including Aurangabad, Kalyan-Dombivali, Nagpur, Nashik, Pimpri Chinchwad, Pune, Solapur and Thane were part of the Mission.
Now, with the closure of SCM on March 31, 2025, there is no budgetary allocation under SCM for this financial year.
Uneven Progress
Among individual cities, Pune and Solapur stand out as full achievers. Pune completed all 55 projects worth ₹3,333 crore, while Solapur finished 49 projects costing ₹1,586.56 crore, leaving no pending works.
Nashik, one of the biggest beneficiaries, completed 51 of its 53 projects, accounting for ₹3,012 crore out of a total allocation of ₹3,197 crore. Only two projects, worth ₹185 crore, remain under execution.
In contrast, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) completed 45 out of 47 projects, but the pending works still account for a sizeable ₹145 crore. Thane has two unfinished projects worth ₹310 crore, while Nagpur has nine ongoing projects involving ₹260 crore, the highest number of pending projects among all cities.
Kalyan-Dombivli presents a different challenge. Although only three projects remain unfinished, their combined value is ₹523 crore, making it one of the costliest pending portfolios in the State. Pimpri-Chinchwad has just one project pending, valued at ₹132 crore.
Basic Needs
A sector-wise analysis shows strong completion in social and utility-driven infrastructure. Smart energy, social infrastructure, and environment projects have achieved 100 per cent completion, together accounting for over ₹3,167 crore. Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects recorded 95 per cent completion, while vibrant public spaces and smart governance also crossed 97 per cent.
The lag is most visible in smart mobility, the largest sector with ₹5,505 crore worth of completed projects, but still short of full closure due to delays in road redesigns, intelligent transport systems, and last-mile connectivity works.
The sector-wise data indicates that cities under the SCM in Maharashtra continue to struggle with providing basic infrastructure to citizens. Rather than leveraging funds from the State and Union governments to build truly “smart” urban systems, a significant portion of the resources has been used to address foundational infrastructure gaps.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Radheshyam Jadhav
Dieser Artikel ist neu veröffentlicht von / This article is republished from: The Hindu Businessline, 30.12.2025
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