VISAKHAPATNAM: Taking another step in the direction of becoming one of the first smart cities in the country, Visakhapatnam has been selected among top three cities from Andhra Pradesh under the Central Government’s Smart Cities Mission.
The GVMC authorities are gearing up to get through the second level of clearance at the national level as the US has already promised to help transform Vizag into a smart city. The proposals made by Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) along with the municipal bodies of Tirupati and Kakinada will be submitted to the Central government on Thursday.
The State Government has decided to develop 13 smart cities in the state including three smart metropolitan cities. Except for Srikakulam and Vizianagaram, all the district headquarters are in the race for the smart city project. Among all the municipal bodies which are competing for the project in the state, Vizag is the frontrunner, followed by Tirupati and Kakinada. All three cities were cleared by the state-level screening committee and the reports will be submitted to the Central government for screening at the national level. “Based on the proposals submitted and basic criterion, the Central Government will take the final decision on the cities selected for development under the Smart City Mission,” a senior official said.
GVMC commissioner Pravin Kumar is learnt to have met the authorities concerned in Hyderabad Wednesday and explained the proposals made by the Municipal Corporation. Efforts are being made to ensure that Visakhapatnam clears the second stage of scrutiny. Officials said that the Port City has good chances of winning it.