Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today gave credit to the denizens of Bhubaneswar for the city being ranked among top 20 smart cities of the world.

"The credit for this global recognition goes to the citizens of Bhubaneswar and to the peace loving, forward looking people of Odisha who have continuously blessed us and reposed faith in our governance," the CM said in a statement.

"This is personally a poignant moment for me as I remember the Super cyclone of 1999 and how far we have come since then," Patnaik said.

"Our cultural heritage, warmth and hospitality of our people coupled with modern amenities make this city a unique urban experience. From land rights for urban slum dwellers to making Bhubaneswar the emerging sports capital of India, many pioneering steps are being taken," he said.

"We will continue our efforts at making Bhubaneswar a truly global city and one of the best places to live in," he added.

Notably, as per the Global Smart City Performance Index-2017 by Juniper Research, which was released on March 12, Bhubaneswar has been placed at the 13th spot in terms of safety as measured by crime levels, mortality and law enforcement services’ efforts to combat these challenges.

Besides, the number one smart city of the country has been ranked 20th in three other categories– Mobility (urban transport systems, including public and private transport. Also includes non-motorised transport solutions), Health (healthcare service delivery for citizens, including access to services and performance) and Productivity (city policies and technologies in use aimed at promoting citizen productivity, democratisation of services and wealth distribution). In overall, the Temple City is at the 19th place.

Moreover, Bhubaneswar is the only city of the country to get featured in the top-20 list. Singapore has been placed at the top of the list in all the four categories.

It may be recalled here that Bhubaneswar had earlier won National Planning Excellence and Achievement Awards-2017 awarded by the American Planning Association (APA). This apart, the city had bagged the second runners-up spot at the World Smart City Awards-2016 in Barcelona.