India to get expertise on smart cities from France

NEW DELHI: In a bid to bring the delayed Smart City projects on fast track, India will get expertise and know-how in planning and development of Smart cities from France. French President is scheduled to visit in December this year. Officials said that France will help in sectors ranging from multi-modal transport and logistics to infrastructure development and urban planning and design.

Sources with the ministry of Urban affairs and housing said that the issue of development of Smart Cities was deliberated upon in a recent meeting with the Indo-French working group on sustainable development. A workshop will be organized in the coming month in which experts and urban planners from France will also participate sharing their expertise.  Urban sectors ranging from multi-modal transport and logistics to infrastructure development and urban planning, clean water and waste management will be discussed in detail in the workshop.

An official said that French President will visit India in the month of December this year and agreement on many projects including Smart City development will be chalked out. French participation in Smart City projects of India might be announced in December this year.

A senior official of the ministry of urban affairs said that the ministry is committed to timely implementation of urban mission projects and the new minister is leaving no stone unturned to bring the projects on fast track. Concerned over the delay in the execution of flagship Urban missions including the ‘Smart City’, Government has asked the officers to pull up their socks. Now, the urban development ministry will held daylong meeting to review the progress in these projects twice a month. A report will be prepared to highlight the efforts made to speed up execution and implementation hurdles resolved during the last fifteen days and reasons for delay.

In a recent meeting with senior officials, Housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri has clearly said that the outcomes to be monitored under each mission like the projects completed in each of the first batch of 20 smart cities and other urban projects.

Flagship urban missions of the Modi government including the ‘Smart City’ which were launched with much fanfare have got delayed. Ninety cities have been selected for Smart cities development plan, but, works have started at only first batch of 20 cities.