MCC officials working hard to procure the ’Smart city Badge’
Mangalore Today News Network
Mangaluru: September 25, 2015: Officials from Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) are working hard to meet the deadline for submission of the ’Smart City Proposal’. Last month, the Centre released a list of 98 cities in which the Mangaluru was shortlisted for selection as a Smart City. However, the city still has a long way to get the Smart City tag.
MCC commisisoner H N Gopalkrishna said the Centre plans to implement Smart City mission in a phased manner. "Since only 20 cities will be picked in phase one, for Mangaluru the immediate target would be to make it to the list of top 20. If this goal has to be reached, then Mangaluru has to meet the elaborate guidelines laid down by the Centre. For this a smart city proposal has to be prepared and submitted for ’Smart City Challenge’, which is a competitive process for making the formal pitch.
We have to deal with various aspects like existing city profiles, citizen engagement, vision statement and goals, strategic plan, pan city proposals, area-based proposals, implementation framework, financing plan, benefits and impacts and process and team work. If Mangaluru manages to reach the top 20, then a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) in the form of a public limited company shall be formed headed by a full-time CEO for the implementation ofthe smart city proposals with MCC and state government as share holders of the SPV. To fast-track this process, co-ordinate, direct and pursue it to its logical end, there are also several separate informal think-tanks and citizens groups comprising government officials, technocrats, urban planners, stakeholders who have joined hands to help the MCC and the consultants appointed by MoUD to prepare the documentation required," Gopalkrishna said.
It’s learnt that the government has suggested three models of area-based development and a pan-city initiative. These include retrofitting that is to identify and plan existing built-up area to achieve smart city objectives and is applicable for minimum 500 acres. Redevelopment would mean complete replacement of the existing built-up environment and construction of new infrastructure using mixed land used and more intensive land utilisation principles that is applicable for an area of more than 50 acres. For greenfield, the minimum area is 250 acres.