Delhi to be country's first smart city: Naidu 

Delhi will be developed into a "global city" and the country's first 'smart city' will be set up to decongest the national capital and facilitate it with all modern amenities, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said.

Delhi will be developed into a "global city" and the country's first 'smart city' will be set up here to decongest the national capital and facilitate it with all modern amenities, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said in New Delhi on Saturday.  "We want to make Delhi a truly global city, having all latest and modern amenities and facilities that any other global city like London or San Francisco. We want to have world-class entertainment venues like Disneyland or Universal Studios here," Naidu said.  "Delhi is the heart of India and the first smart city would come up here. The city of Barcelona in Spain has also promised technological support to us in our effort in this direction," he said.  The Minister was speaking at a function organised by DDA at its headquarters in New Delhi to officially kick-start the allotment process of its 'Housing Scheme 2014'.  Naidu handed over allotment letters to the first few successful applicants. Talking about the 'smart city' initiative further, he said the focus would be to build global educational and health institutes and entertainment facilities.  DDA's Vice-Chairman Balvinder Kumar in a media briefing on Friday had outlined the plans for the 'smart city' in the capital.  The 'smart city' will be a complete sub-city, which would be located in an area of 20-24 hectares, zoned out of Dwarka, Rohini and Narela, and will be equipped with latest technologies and waste-management techniques.  "The smart city will have a world-class infrastructure, 24-hour power supply, complete wi-fi connectivity, and will employ green technology and latest water conservation techniques like rain-harvesting and waste management techniques, among other facilities," Kumar said.  Naidu said the land for 'smart city' in Delhi would be acquired through land-pooling, on which the ministry and the DDA are currently working. He said besides increasing population, Delhi also has a problem of large number of vehicles and so there was a need to promote public transport