Smart Cities In Gujarat: Mission, Objective, Projects & Current Status

Known for its impressive infrastructure and dynamic economy, Gujarat stands out as a beacon of progress in India with 6 smart cities. The state is committed to enhancing the quality of life for its residents through sustainable planning while preserving its cultural heritage. With an area of more than 196 square kilometres and a population of 60 lakh residents, the residents of Gujarat enjoy close proximity to the coastline and ample business opportunities. 

Located on the western coast of India, Gujarat shares its borders with Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. The state hosts the country’s most important textile hubs and has recently seen rapid growth with its online portals. The state government has launched new websites so that residents don’t have to travel to administrative offices and provides them with every desired service through the channel. 

Surat, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Dahod, Gandhinagar, and Rajkot were the six cities chosen for the Smart City Gujarat mission. 

Smart City Gujarat

The Smart City Gujarat Mission promotes the infrastructural growth of the state and gives them an improved quality of life. By offering these ‘smart’ solutions to the citizens, the area sees sustainable and inclusive development in all government sectors. Surat and Ahmedabad made it into the first phase of smart cities, announced in January 2016, while Vadodra was added to the list in the second phase in September 2016. Dahod, Gandhinagar, and Rajkot officially became smart cities in the third phase of the announcements in June 2017.

The following changes are expected in the towns under the Smart City Gujarat Mission: 

• Vadodara: Urban amenities like public safety, education and healthcare 
• Rajkot: Upgrading public transportation and promoting e-governance
• Gandhinagar: Sustainable urban planning and eco-friendly initiative 
• Dahod: Modern and inclusive urban space 
• Surat: Urban Development
• Rajkot: Urban Development

All missions are conducted and developed by the Gujarat Urban Development Company Ltd. Shri Ashwini Kumar is the company’s chairman, while Shri Rajkumar Beniwal is the Managing Director. 

Smart City Gujarat Objectives

Gujarat focuses on area-based developments, and its objectives are:

• City Improvements: Developing an existing area of more than 500 acres, but the structure of the building/ place should not be modified 
• Redevelopment: Replacing the existing structure in an area of more than 50 acres 
• Green Fields: Developing the vacant area of more than 250 acres as a city extension

Other than that, the common objectives of a Smart City mission are: 

• Adequate Water Supply 
• Sanitation and solid waste management
• Robust IT connectivity and digitalisation 
• Sustainable Environment 
• Improving Health and Education Infrastructure 
• Affordable Housing 
• Urban Mobility and Public Transportation 
• Assured Electricity Supply 

Smart City Gujarat Features 

Here are some of the features of Smart City Gujarat that help in the overall development of the area: 

• Promoting mixed land use and planning for ‘unplanned areas’ to make land use more efficient
• Housing and inclusiveness for all 
• Creating walkable localities for pedestrians and areas for cyclists to reduce congestion and boost the local economy 
• Preserving and developing open spaces to enhance the quality of life of citizens
• Promoting a variety of transport options for robust connectivity
• Making governance citizen-friendly and ensuring accountability and transparency
• Promoting the main economic activities, like health and education 
• Applying Smart Solutions to infrastructure to make them less vulnerable to disasters 

Smart City Gujarat Projects

Gujarat follows a Pan India Model where at least one smart solution is applied to one city. This was incredibly successful, as out of 341 projects, 205 have already been finished via the allocated budget of 13,000 Crores. Based on this, the state has always been placed in the top five performing states of the country and won 9 awards in the MoHUA Award Ceremony 2020. 

Here are some of the most successful completed, undergoing and tenured projects of Gujarat:  

List of Completed Projects in Smart City Gujarat Mission

Source – smartcities.gov.in

List of Ongoing Projects in Smart City Gujarat Mission

While the official list of ongoing projects is unavailable, here are the major projects underway for the Gujarat Smart City mission, attracting hundreds of investors. 

Source- indconosaka.gov.in

List of Tendered Projects under Smart City Gujarat Mission

Some of the proposed projects of the Smart City Gujarat Mission include: 

Source- tenderdetail.com

Don’t Miss It!

Smart City Gujarat Map

Gujarat has undergone numerous changes in the past 8 years because of its successful smart city mission. The map below will help you understand the cities’ infrastructural improvement and the number of new features provided to the residents. This includes the growth in the number of hospitals, schools, and public transportation facilities. The map is helpful to residents and other citizens of India. 

source -dholera-smart-city-phase2.com

Citizen Services Provided on the Smart City Gujarat Portal

All six cities mentioned in the Smart City Gujarat portal provide excellent e-services for the benefit of residents. 

Services provided by Ahmedabad

• Applications for applying, cancelling, separating, transferring, duplicating, changing, adding/ removing a name in/ for a ration card
• Special services for students selected in the All India Civil Services, UPSC Main, and 

UPSC Prelims

• Applying for SEBC, SC/ST, Widow, Economically Backward, Income, Senior Citizen, Farmer, Religious Minority, Domicile, Character and Non-Creamy Layer certificate
• VF 6, VF 8A and 7 details 

Services provided by Dahod

• Applying for Solvency, Income, Backward Class, Linguistic Minority, SC/ST, Residency, Domicile, Inheritance and Widowhood certificate 
• Obtaining a self-defence, arms, security arms, and no objection for petroleum and liquor permit 
• Application for allotment of land, government account, government wasteland, social forestry, government fallow land, shrimp farming and salt industry
• Applications for applying, cancelling, separating, transferring, duplicating, changing, adding/ removing a name in/ for a ration card

Services provided by Vadodara/ Gandhinagar  

• Filing for Property Tax 
• Receives help in case of emergency and fire 
• Water drainage 
• Fire NOC 
• Birth-death certificate
• Food safety license 
• Oral Polio 
• Vehicle tax and registration 
• Animal pond, meat, fish and animal adoption license 
• Shooting Permission 

Services provided by Rajkot 

• Applying for Birth and Death certificate
• Applying for Land Records 
• Applying for new/ renewal of self-protection and crop protection licence 
• License for hotels, restaurants, cinema halls, petroleum, firecracker storage and entertainment places 
• Applying for social security schemes like the National Family Benefit Scheme

Services offered by Surat

• Paying Property Tax
• Community plot booking 
• Water meter connections 
• Registering/ Intimation of shops
• Tracking a complaint status 
• Hydraulic water meter 
• Applying for birth and death certificate 
• Paying E-Challan 
• Fire NOC 

FAQ’s Smart Cities In Gujarat