MC House gives nod to smart city proposal

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 1

The Municipal Corporation in the General House meeting today unanimously passed the proposal for developing the holy city into a smart city to figure it in the list of 20 cities to be developed as smart cities in the first phase by the Union Government.

In order to be eligible, the Centre has made it mandatory to come prepare with the smart city proposals (SCPs). All selected 100 cities at the national level are competing among themselves to figure in the first phase. Subsequently, 40 cities would be selected in the second phase and the rest of the 40 cities in the third and last phase.

The SCP got prepared by the MC include, area and proposal identification, retrofitting, redevelopment and greenfield developments, scope and objective, concept, development and implementation framework, proposed financing options and institutional framework and time frame.

It emphasises area-based development that include smartness of proposal, citizen engagement, result- orientation, process followed and implementation framework, including feasibility and cost-effectiveness.

Another major factor is a pan-city solution which further includes smartness of solution, citizen engagement, result-orientation, process followed and implementation framework, including, feasibility and cost-effectiveness.

Now, the proposal would be approved by Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal before uploading it into the website of the Union Ministry of Urban Development.

However, Opposition Leader Raj Kanwal Preet Pal Singh Lucky called it a “distant dream” which is hard to realise.

Cities vie to figure in first phase 

In order to be eligible, the Centre has made it mandatory to come prepare with the smart city proposals. All selected 100 cities at the national level are competing among themselves to figure in the first phase. Subsequently, 40 cities would be selected in the second phase and the rest of the 40 cities in the third and last phase.