MC for ‘citizen-centric’ smart city plan

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 25

Ministry of Urban Development (MOUD) allowing Shimla to compete as state capital under the smart city mission has brought cheers in the city. The Shimla Municipal Corporation has favoured a “citizen-centric smart city model” for the capital city, opposing the “smart city model imposed from the top that may make it a milky cow for big corporates to make fast bucks”.

The Shimla MC will call a meeting of mayors from across the region to debate and prepare the best smart city plan as the private public participation (PPP) mode has failed to deliver in the city, asserted Tikender Panwar, Deputy Mayor, MC, speaking on the inclusion of Shimla under the national Smart city mission in the second round by the Ministry of Urban Development.

“We have won the protracted battle for Shimla after fighting at all levels to include it under the smart city mission”, said Panwar. “But the major challenge is how and who will develop the smart city plan for Shimla. It should not be the corporates who have already lined up for consultancy to prepare the development plan”, he said.

“We demand that the MOUD allow participation of the elected representatives in preparing the smart city development plan”, he said.

Shimla MC needs to set up the special purpose vehicle for smart city plan involving all stakeholders, Panwar said. “China has city managers to develop plan, but Shimla needs a model other than the PPP mode which has failed to deliver in the bus stand and parking projects”, he claimed.

Shimla city already has city sanitation plan, solar city plan, city mobility plan, high risk vulnerable index plan, city development plan, green house gas emission inventory plan in place, Panwar said. “We need basic model considering these plans to take root in the city so that residents and tourists get all the smart city facilities,”he added.