**Executive Summary**
This document is the response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1108 regarding the Smart Cities Mission in the North Eastern Region, to be answered on February 05, 2026. It details the cities selected, project status, the mission's objectives, and outcomes, as reported by the States in the North Eastern Region as on 15.01.2026. The response includes challenges faced in implementing the Smart City projects.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Cities Selected:**
* 10 cities were selected under the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) in the North Eastern Region: Itanagar, Pasighat, Guwahati, Imphal, Shillong, Aizawl, Kohima, Gangtok, Namchi, and Agartala.
* **Project Status (as of January 15, 2026):**
* Out of 706 projects with a total value of ₹12,967 crore, 636 projects (99.60% of total projects) worth ₹11,202 crore have been completed.
* 70 projects amounting to ₹1764 crore are at the implementation stage.
* **Challenges in Implementation:**
* Challenges include legal issues, delays in obtaining clearances, land acquisition problems, construction difficulties in hilly areas, vendor and resource availability in small to medium cities, centralization of decision-making, and underutilization of Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCCs).
* **Mission Objectives:**
* The SCM focused on area-based development through retrofitting, redevelopment, greenfield projects, and Pan-city initiatives to create replicable models, rather than developing the entire city.
* Projects were based on Smart City Proposals (SCPs) across various sectors, like smart mobility, water, sanitation, hygiene, smart governance, smart energy, and environment.
* SCPs were approved by the High Powered Steering Committee (HPSC) chaired by the Chief Secretary.
* **Outcomes:**
* A NITI Aayog report (September 2025) concluded that the SCM Mission is strongly relevant to India's urban needs and aligns with national development agendas and SDGs.
* Outcomes include the establishment of 100 SPVs to enable faster decision-making and 100 ICCCs for crime monitoring, citizen safety, transport, waste, water, and disaster management.
* The mission aims to build capacity in cities to develop PPP Projects and replicable development models.
**Impact Analysis**
**State Governments/UTs**
* **Impact:** Responsible for reporting project status and facing challenges in implementing the Smart City projects.
* **Action Required:** Address challenges, accelerate project implementation, and ensure efficient resource utilization.
**Citizens of the North Eastern Region**
* **Impact:** Expected to benefit from improved urban infrastructure, better services, and enhanced quality of life due to the Smart Cities Mission.
* **Action Required:** Engage with city governments and SPVs to provide feedback on project implementation and desired outcomes.
**Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs**
* **Impact:** Responsible for the overall planning, implementation, and monitoring of the Smart Cities Mission.
* **Action Required:** Monitor project progress, address implementation challenges, and ensure alignment with national development goals.
**NITI Aayog**
* **Impact:** NITI Aayog's evaluation report indicates that the SCM Mission is strongly relevant to India's urban needs and aligns with national development agendas and SDGs.
* **Action Required:** NITI Aayog is responsible for producing future reports and ensuring alignment with national development goals.
Key Entities Referenced
Smart Cities Mission (SCM): A program focused on urban development through retrofitting, redevelopment, and greenfield projects. It aims to apply smart solutions in cities to create a replicable model.
North Eastern Region: The geographical region where the Smart Cities Mission is being implemented, including cities like Itanagar, Pasighat, Guwahati, Imphal, Shillong, Aizawl, Kohima, Gangtok, Namchi and Agartala.
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs: The central ministry responsible for the Smart Cities Mission.
NITI Aayog: An organization that evaluated the Centrally Sponsored Schemes in Urban Transformation Sector and Skill Development, concluding that SCM has demonstrated strong relevance to India's Urban needs.
High Powered Steering Committee (HPSC): A committee, chaired by the Chief Secretary, responsible for approving Smart City Proposals (SCPs).
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1108
TO BE ANSWERED ON FEBRUARY 05, 2026
SMART CITIES MISSION IN NORTH EASTERN REGION
NO. 1108. SHRI JOYANTA BASUMATARY:
Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) the details of all the cities proposed in North Eastern Region under the Smart
Cities Mission since 2015, State-wise;
(b) the number and total value of Smart City projects that are still incomplete or
delayed as of October 2025, along with the reasons for such delays, city-
wise;
(c) the number of cities now considered Smart Cities and the details of the
parameters used for assessing whether identified cities meet the prescribed
standards;
(d) whether the Government has conducted any comparative assessment to
analyse how Smart Cities are performing on various indicators relative to
non-Smart cities; and
(e) if so, the details of socio-economic outcome emerged from this
transformation beyond infrastructure creation thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE
MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
(SHRI TOKHAN SAHU)
(a) &(b): Under Smart Cities Mission (SCM), 10 cities, viz. Itanagar, Pasighat,
Guwahati, Imphal, Shillong, Aizawl, Kohima, Gangtok, Namchi and Agartala
were selected in the North Eastern Region. As reported by the States in the
North Eastern Region as on 15.01.2026, out of a total 706 projects amounting
to ₹12,967 crore, 636 projects (99.60% of total projects) amounting to
₹11,202 crore have been completed and 70 projects amounting to ₹1764
crore are at implementation stage.
…2/--2-
As reported by the States/UTs, the challenges encountered in implementing
smart city projects include, inter-alia, legal issues, delay in obtaining
clearances from different departments, land acquisition, construction in hilly
areas, challenges in vendor and resource availability in small & medium
cities, centralization of decision making in few cities, utilization of full
capacity of Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCCs), etc.
(c):The objective of SCM was not the development of entire city but followed an
area-based development approach through retrofitting, redevelopment,
greenfield development and a Pan-city initiative in which smart solutions are
applied covering larger parts of the city, so as to create a replicable model.
The cities under SCM were developed based on Smart City Proposals (SCPs)
received from States/UTs, across various sectors, viz., smart mobility, Water,
Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH), smart governance, smart energy, environment
etc., approved by High Powered Steering Committee (HPSC)chaired by the
Chief Secretary.
(d) & (e): NITI Ayog in its report titled ‘Evaluation of Centrally Sponsored
Schemes in Urban Transformation Sector and Skill Development’ published
in September 2025, has concluded that the SCM Mission has demonstrated
strong relevance to India’s Urban needs, with its objectives aligning with
national development agendas and SDGs.
Some of the outcomes under SCM inter-alia includes establishment of 100
SPVs to enable faster decision making, 100 ICCCs established for functions
spanning crime monitoring, citizen safety, transport, waste, water, and
disaster management, building capacity in cities to develop PPP Projects
and replicable models for development of Cities.
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