Kamal Ghorui
Agartala: Agartala has been designated as one of 31 cities across India to successfully complete transformation under the Centre’s Smart Cities Mission, marking a major milestone in advancing urban infrastructure and sustainability through technology-driven solutions.According to the ministry of housing and urban affairs, only 31 of the 100 cities selected for the programme have completed their transformation so far. Launched in 2016 as a five-year initiative, the mission has faced repeated timeline extensions due to implementation challenges.The ministry reported that 43 cities are nearing completion, while work continues in the remaining 26. The mission was executed in four phases — 20 cities were chosen in Jan 2016, followed by 40 more, then 30 in June 2017, and the final 10 in Jan 2018.Originally set to conclude in 2023, the deadline was extended twice — first to June 2024 and then to March 31, 2025. As of Dec 2025, 31 cities have completed transformation projects worth an estimated Rs 59,385 crore. The initiative focused on area-based enhancements such as redevelopment, creation of green spaces, infrastructure upgrades, and innovative urban strategies.Agartala has emerged as a standout success story, completing 77 smart city projects. Other fully transformed cities include Bhopal, Chandigarh, Indore, Pune, Surat, Vadodara, Varanasi, Coimbatore, Ranchi, and Jabalpur, among others.Across all selected cities, about 8,067 projects — 94% of sanctioned plans — have been completed at a combined cost of Rs 1.64 lakh crore. Agartala’s inclusion in this list is widely regarded as a significant achievement for Tripura.“Agartala’s transformation will position it as a model urban hub in north-eastern India, catalysing further development and modernisation in the region in the years ahead,” said chief minister Manik Saha.
