Framework for 100 smart cities to be ready by February says Aggarwal

Moneylife Digital Team 29 January 2015

According to the Urban Development Secretary, in next two days the government will complete the process of identification of 100 cities, which it wants to make smart

The framework for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious project of developing 100 smart cities will be finalised by next month-end, Union Urban Development Secretary Shankar Aggarwal said.

"In another two days we will complete the process of identification of the 100 cities which we want to make smart. We are working on the guidelines and we expect the framework will be ready by 28th February," Aggarwal told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai.

The Urban Development Secretary delivered his keynote address at an interactive panel discussion on 'Smart Cities in India: Reality in the Making' jointly organized by MVIRDC World Trade Centre and All India Association of Industries along with the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Aggarwal said, the government's vision is to develop cities with technology-based governance that will enable efficient public services and have 24x7 water and power supply, 100% sewerage, drainage and solid waste management facilities, besides top class infrastructure.

The government expects a large contribution from the private sector in developing the cities, he added.

"We plan to develop these cities on public private partnership basis. Every city would on an average need investments to the tune of Rs1,000 crore over next 10 years. We want the private sector to contribute largely, nearly 80-85 per cent, towards this development," Aggarwal said.

The ministry has asked the states to ensure that the cities which are picked under the smart cities initiative meet the broad contours listed by it, including economically viable cities, meeting the requirements of 'e-governance', 'Swachh Bharat' and 'Make in India'.

"The Centre will take a final call based on criteria like cities accounting for 54 per cent of incremental GDP till 2025, hill and coastal areas, tourist and religious centres and mid-sized cities," he added.

While attempting to define the smart city concept, Sanjay Sethi, Additional Metropolitan Commissioner-I, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said that the right definition would emphasize the process of creating a smart city and not the final product.

Comments