VISAKHAPATNAM: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is likely to inaugurate the national conference of smarts cities to be held here from January 24. The meet will discuss the progress and status of smart city initiative its across the country since it was launched.
Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister Botcha Satyanarayana and Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao alias Avanthi will also attend.Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), Smart City, Superintending Engineer M Vinay Kumar said the Union Ministry of Urban Development is organising the conference, while the GVMC will be the facilitator.
Chief executive officers (CEOs) of smart city corporations will represent the 100 smart cities during the two-day conference. Besides, secretaries of municipal administration of various States and central governments will also attend. He said visiting officials might also make field visits across the city and to various projects taken up by the GVMC under the smart city project.
Kumar said GVMC Commissioner G Srijana held a meeting with officials on preparedness for the conference. Asking the officials to work as a team, Srijana advised them to ensure proper arrangements for officials coming to Vizag from various States. Kumar said Delhi hosted the last conference of the smart cities. The Union government launched the Smart Cities Mission on June 25 2015 with an aim to promote sustainable and inclusive cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of ‘Smart’ Solutions. The focus is on sustainable and inclusive development. The idea is to look at compact areas, create a replicable model to act like a lighthouse for aspiring cities.