PM Modi's constituency Varanasi is one of three cities from UP in the third list of Smart Cities.
63 cities vied for 27 slots in the third list of smart cities, in a selection process that has made them "rediscover themselves," said Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu as he announced the new list today.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency Varanasi is one of three cities from Uttar Pradesh that have made the grade for central funds for a makeover. The other two are Agra and Kanpur.
Maharashtra has the most cities on today's list, five, followed by four each from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Punjab has two, including Amritsar, as do Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Gujarat, Nagaland and Sikkim have one each.
With this announcement, said Mr Naidu, a total investment of Rs.1,44,742 crore has been proposed by 60 cities under smart city plans.
The government had first announced a list of 20 cities in January and then another list of 13 in May.
Each of these cities will get Rs 200 crore in the first year and Rs 100 crore over the next three financial years to transform themselves with facilities such as assured water and power supply, sanitation and solid waste management systems, efficient urban mobility and public transportation, IT connectivity and e-governance, among others.
State governments and respective urban local bodies will match the centre's contribution.
The Modi government aims to transform about 100 cities by 2019-20.
Here's the complete list of all smart cities