The government has committed Rs 1.13 lakh crore assistance for improving urban infrastructure, which is a 333% increase from Rs 33,902 crore that UPA had approved during its tenure of 10 years under JNNURM, Union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu said on Thursday.

He claimed that during 2004-14, the government had approved the construction of 13.7 lakh houses for the urban poor whereas the new government has approved the construction of 9 lakh houses during the last one year. Naidu also said the central government has "mainstreamed" the urban agenda by ending the longstanding neglect to improve living conditions in cities and towns.

Under the new urban missions, an investment potential of about Rs 18 lakh crore has been created of which, an investment of Rs 1.8 lakh crore has already been approved over the last one year.

Naidu said that so far, the total central assistance of Rs 53,747 crore to states and urban local bodies has already been approved for release. This is almost at par with the total central assistance of Rs 54,974 crore that was approved during the entire UPA regime.

The minister also said that 34 countries, including the US and the UK, have so far evinced an interest in investing in 'smart cities' programme announced by the Centre.