Smart parking, 24x7 water supply, smart metering for power and water, a bicycle track at the Leisure Valley and disabled-friendly sidewalks, all these and more, could be a reality for residents over the next five years with the city bagging the fourth position on a new smart city list of 13 released by the Union urban development ministry on Tuesday.
Lucknow, Chandigarh, Agartala among 13 new smart cities picked by govt
The revised presentation by the UT administration to the Centre in April — after Chandigarh failed to make it to the list of first 20 smart cities last time — projects the city as a hub of innovation, start-ups, and art and culture. In the previous presentation, Chandigarh had scored 54% and it improved the quality of its smart city plan by 9% this year, sources said.
The city now becomes eligible to get Rs 500 crore from the Centre over five years with Rs 200 crore to come in the first year.
Cities were evaluated on service levels, financial and institutional capacity, past record and reforms. The administration had roped in US-based consultant firm AECOM. A memorandum of understanding has already been signed with a French agency to give technical assistance to administration during the project. The agreement was signed on January 24 during the visit of French president Francois Hollande and prime minister Narendra Modi.
{{/usCountry}}Cities were evaluated on service levels, financial and institutional capacity, past record and reforms. The administration had roped in US-based consultant firm AECOM. A memorandum of understanding has already been signed with a French agency to give technical assistance to administration during the project. The agreement was signed on January 24 during the visit of French president Francois Hollande and prime minister Narendra Modi.
{{/usCountry}}New proposals sought
The cities that did not make it to the list of first 20, but were close to the finishing line were asked to send a revised proposal.
What next
Within two weeks, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), a 50:50 joint venture between the UT administration and the MC, will be formed and changes will start over the next two years.