COIMBATORE: Mayors, deputy mayors and corporation officials from over 50 smart cities across the country took part in the national workshop on streets & public spaces organised by the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) and Coimbatore Smart City Projects Limited in the city on Saturday.
Recently, Coimbatore won first prize in the awards given by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) of the Union Government for cities that have implemented the best ‘Smart City’ projects, under the ‘Built Environment’ category.
Following this, a national-level workshop on streets and public places developed under the smart city project was held in Kashmir on October 26. The next workshop on Lake rejuvenation was conducted in Coimbatore on Saturday.
Rajendra Singh Shekhawat, CEO, MD and Commissioner, Jaipur Smart City Ltd., Sanjay Chauhan, CEO, MD and Commissioner, Moradabad Smart City Limited, Pawan Sharma, Project Coordinator - PMU UrbanShift, National Institute of Urban Affairs, Delhi, Amit Aasery, CEO, MD and Commissioner, Aligarh Smart City Limited, Sayeda Afreen Banu Bellary, CEO, MD and Commissioner, Belagavi Smart City Limited, and officials from cities and states across the country took part in the event.
Apart from them, officials including commissioners, engineers and other officers from different districts of Tamil Nadu also participated in the workshop. Anand Malligavad, who is popularly known as the ‘Lake man of India,’ conducted a seminar on lake rejuvenation methods including natural and cost-efficient ways to restore the water bodies. Sagarika Patnaik, Special Secretary, Water Body Rejuvenation Unit, HUD, Odisha and Jeenal Sawla, Advisor, Smart Cities Mission were also present during the discussion.
Kunal Kumar, Mission Director, Smart Cities Mission, MoHUA delivered the keynote address. Coimbatore District Collector Kranthi Kumar Pati, CCMC Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran, Coimbatore City Police Commissioner V Balakrishnan, CCMC Deputy Mayor R Vetriselvan, CSCL General Manager Baskar and various other officials were also present.
Sources said the CCMC Mayor Kalpana Anandakumar skipped the event as she wasn’t properly invited by the CCMC and CSCL officials. The mayor’s name was missing from the event’s official invitation and agenda card. However, the CCMC chief has denied the rumours.
Speaking to TNIE, CCMC Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran said, “This is a two-part workshop in which the delegates attended the morning session and evening session. ”
When inquired about the mayor’s absence, Prabakaran rubbished the rumours. “The Smart City officials and I personally invited the mayor to the event. As the CM is arriving in Coimbatore on Monday, the mayor is busy looking after the arrangements. So she couldn’t attend the meet.” Despite multiple attempts made by TNIE, the mayor was not available for comment.