Smart Cities to benefit 12 crore people

There are about 12 crore people in the country who will be the direct beneficiaries of the Smart City project. The total population of these proposed 98 Smart Cities is about 12 crore, accounting for 35 per cent of country´s total urban population as per the 2011 census, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said, while releasing the list. Among the selected cities, 35 cities and towns have a population between one and five lakh and 21 cities with a population between five and 10 lakh. 25 cities have population of above 10 lakh and below 25 lakh. Five cities are in the population range of 25 to 50 lakh. Chennai, Greater Hyderabad, Greater Mumbai and Ahmedabad have population of about above 50 lakh each.
Out of 98 cities, 24 are capital cities, 24 are business and industrial centres, 18 are of cultural and tourism importance, five are port cities, and three are education and health care hubs.
Five cities have a population of one lakh and below.