Shimla tops Ease of Living Index

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 4

Shimla is most liveable among the cities having less than 10-lakh population across the country. The Queen of Hills has been bestowed this distinction in the Ease of Living Index (EoLI) survey, the results of which were announced today by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Out of the 114 competing cities in this category, Shimla has been placed at the top. “It’s a huge achievement and a matter of pride for the citizens as well as the state government,” said Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj.

What makes the achievement even more spectacular is that fact that Shimla was ranked 92nd in the Ease of Living Index in 2018. The city jumped 92 places to top the table this year. “It’s indeed a fantastic achievement. Jumping 92 places to top the list is really impressive. The Smart City team and the Municipal Corporation deserve a lot of credit and praise for this huge improvement in the rankings,” said Smart City Managing Director Abid Hussian.

To assess the progress being made in the cities, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs had launched two assessment frameworks in 2019 - Ease of Living Index (EoLI) and Municipal Performance Index (MPI). Both these indices were designed to assess quality of life of the citizens in 100 Smart Cities and 14 other cities having population less than 10 lakh. The Ease of Living Index ranking is based on the assessment of four parameters - Quality of Life, Economic Ability, Sustainability and Citizen Perception. Out of 100 marks, Shimla logged a total of 60.90 to top the EoLI rankings. The MPI was assessed on five parameters – services, finance, technology, planning and governance. In Municipal Performance Index, Shimla has been placed 24, with a total of 43.71.

“The No. 1 ranking is the reflection of the development that has taken place in recent years in the state. Unprecedented development in the field of education, health, public works, and decline in the crime rate has added to the liveability of Shimla City,” said the UD Minister.

While the achievement is indeed remarkable, the authorities as well as citizens can’t lose sight of the teething problems the city continues to face, the most notable being traffic and parking issues. Once these problems are sorted, it will add immensely to the liveability index of the city.