CHENNAI: The State government will soon be short listing potential smart cities from a list of 32 that has population of more than one lakh.
According to information available with Express, there are over 32 cities which have more than one lakh population and included under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), a 10-year programme with an investment of around `2 lakh crore. AMRUT aims at rejuvenating 500 cities and towns across India and it is learnt that efforts are on to add Namakkal and Villupuram under the scheme.
“There are 12 municipal corporations which are potential smart cities among the Amrut cities. These will enter the challenge round for selection by the Union government,” sources said. The cities would have to prepare a Smart City Proposal that will be the basis for selection of 20 cities all over India for the year 2015-16.
The proposals would be reviewed by a State-level high powered steering committee (HPSC) having chief secretary as chairman and principal secretary of municipal administration and water supply department as member secretary. The committee would comprise finance secretary, housing secretary, representative from union Ministry of Urban Development, mayors of corporations, corporation commissioners, managing director of TWAD, managing director of Metro Water and director of municipal administration. It would provide a platform for exchange of ideas relating to development of smart cities besides overseeing the process of first stage Intra-State Competition on the basis of stage-1 criteria. However, the question remains whether the whole city would be converted into smart city or a part of it would be taken up that will have smart solutions.
The State government is planning to implement smart cities under three different concepts. These include Retrofitting - planing in an existing built-up area to achieve smart city objectives in 500 acres; Re-development - replacement of existing built-up environment and enable co-creation of new layout with enhanced infrastructure using mixed land use in a minimum area of 50 acres; and Greenfield Development - introducing smart solutions in previously vacant area which could be more than 250 acres.
Each smart city is likely to have an advisory forum chaired by the district collector and comprise the local MP, MLA, mayor and local youth besides NGOs and slum level federations. The proposal would include a Vision of the City. This would have area development plan and pan city development. The focus would be on transformative projects having the highest possible impact on economic growth as well as improving the quality of life of all including poor in the city. There would also be a financing plan for complete life cycle of the projects.