NEW DELHI: With the government likely to launch the Smart Cities Mission later this month, a RSS-affiliated body is pitching in with ideas and suggestions that the concept promoted by the government should be based on indigenous solutions.
RSS body Vijnana Bharati, an organisation working in the field of science, is holding a two-day seminar in Mumbai starting Saturday where some of the leading industrialists and experts will debate the vision for the smart cities. Urban Development minister Venkaiah Naidu, whose ministry is piloting the project, will be the main speaker during the seminar, while Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis will also participate.
RSS sources said that they have discussed the idea of smart cities with Naidu earlier and suggested that local solutions and traditions be kept in mind while developing these cities. The government should not merely aim to emulate Singapore, but also keep in the local technological solutions and needs while designing these cities,” a senior RSS leader linked to Vijnana Bharati said.
The body has even floated a special website where suggestions related to ‘Bharatiya’ concepts be incorporated for the new cities. “Building just a society signifies something more than mere administration of laws. It means every individual; group of community must get a fair treatment and a just share of the fruits of development,” says the concept note for the smart city developed by Vijnana Bharati. It added that as urban areas consume more natural resources, it creates a rift with the rural areas. “ENS/New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana seems to have hit a roadblock in the national capital with none of the seven Delhi MPs adopting any village as their constituencies do not have villages.
After reviewing the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, Rural Development Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh said that “no Delhi MP has adopted any village under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana so far”.
“We do not have any such communication to say that any Delhi MP has adopted any village," Singh told reporters while parrying question on if the scheme needs to be tweaked in such cases. The scheme calls for adoption of only rural villages.
When asked if it was true that most of Delhi MPs cannot adopt village as their constituencies do not have villages, the minister said that he has given a list of villages that can be adopted to MPs but they never got back as these don’t fall in their constituencies.
Three of the seven BJP MPs have, however, announced to have adopted one village each. These include Meenakshi Lekhi, Ramesh Bidhuri and Mahesh Giri.
South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri, however said that he has adopted a village in his constituency and work is already in progress. Another MP Meenakshi Lekhi said that there are no rural villages in her New Delhi constituency and now she will adopt village in outer Delhi area. East Delhi MP Mahesh Giri had also announced adoption of village in 2014.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the scheme during his Independence Day speech at Red Fort under which MPs were asked to develop one model village each in their constituenciesations among different social groups and eventually be seen as a lop-sided growth promoting injustice”
“Any urban vision that ignores the social realities will generate cities with islands of prosperity that will survive amidst a general squalor...our cities must address critical issues like affordable housing, healthcare, education, skill development and general quality of life,” the note added.
The two day conclave would have separate sessions on physical infrastructure, social infrasturctuire, environment, technology and governance.
Among the key speakers during the two-day conclave in Mumbai would be S Ramadorai, Chairman, National Skill Development Agency, Dr Madhav Chitale, former Central Water Commission chairman, Dr V K Saraswat, former DRDO chief and member, NITI Aayog, Dr Satish Wate, Director, NEERI.
From the industry attending the Sangh function would be Ajit Gulabchand CMD HCC, Dr Rajeev Lall, CMD, IDFC, Aniruddha Deshpande, CMD, City Corporation, Arun Nanda, Chairman, Mahindra Lifespace Developers, Ashwin Shroff Chairman, Excel Industries, Devidas Kulkarni, South Asia Head, Siemens Building Technology, Dr Rishi Bhatnagar Global Head - Digital Enterprise Services at Tech Mahindra, Rajesh Ramachandran, President, Rolta, Venkatesh Valluri, Ex-CMD Ingersoll Rand, Anita Arjundas , MD Mahindra Lifespace Developers. Dr Uday Salunkhe, Director, Welingkar Institute.