LUCKNOW, Feb. 12 -- The state government's push to transform urban infrastructure has gained momentum with a Rs.26,514 crore allocation in the 2026-27 budget, marking one of the largest sectoral outlays as 17 cities get a smart city makeover. Minister of urban development and energy AK Sharma said the urban development strategy combines governance expansion, sanitation reform and technology-driven city planning. Since 2017, 113 new urban local bodies have been created, while the boundaries of 127 existing bodies have been expanded. The expansion aims to strengthen municipal governance, improve revenue generation and streamline infrastructure development. Under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 1.0, public, community and pink toilets have been constructed in 1,100 blocks across 189 urban local bodies with a gender-sensitive approach. Officials say the initiative has improved access to safe sanitation facilities in densely populated areas. As many as ten cities, Lucknow, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Agra, Bareilly, Jhansi, and Moradabad, have been selected under the Centre's Smart City Mission and are being developed in pha ses.The government has launched a State Smart City initiative covering seven additional municipal corporations: Ayodhya, Firozabad, Gorakhpur, Ghaziabad, Mathura-Vrindavan, Meerut and Shahjahanpur. The expansion reflects a shift from centrally-driven urban modernisation to a state-led model aimed at replicating smart infrastructure, digital governance, sustainable mobility and integrated urban planning....