The 3-day “Smart Cities, Smart Urbanization” conference had a grand opening in Surat today. The event is being organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India with Surat Smart City Corporation Development Ltd., under the clarion call of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM), given by the Hon’ble Prime Minister to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Independence.
Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs was the chief guest at the event. Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat addressed the gathering through a Video Message. Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Kaushal Kishore, Union Minister of State for Railways Ms Darshana Jardosh, Shri Vinod Moradiya, Minister of Urban development and urban housing, Government of Gujarat, Dr Audimulapu Suresh, Minister of Education, Andhra Pradesh, Shri C.R. Patil, MP, and Smt. Hemali Kalpeshkumar Boghawala, Mayor, Surat took part in the inaugural session. All key urban stakeholders from Central and State Governments joined the event, including inter alia, Secretary, MoHUA Shri Manoj Joshi, Principal Secretaries of States/UTs, Municipal Commissioners of Cities, MDs/CEOs of 100 Smart Cities, State Level Nodal Agencies/ Mission Directorates, professionals, industry representatives, media, and members of academia also attended the event, which highlighted some of the important initiatives being implemented in 100 Smart Cities.
An awards distribution ceremony was organised, during the inaugural wherein award winners of the India Smart Cities Awards Contest (ISAC) 2020 were felicitated. These awards were earlier announced through virtual conference in 2021. However, the award distribution ceremony was deferred due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation at that time. Surat and Indore were given the Best city award, while Uttar Pradesh was awarded the Best State.
The detailed news can be read on PIB portal.
