100 Smart Cities-real incubators of the New Urban India: Puri
Author: BI Bureau
New Delhi: Hardeep S Puri, Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and Petroleum and Natural Gas, recently apprised the members of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs about the progress of Smart Cities Mission.
He stated that the implementation of the Mission at city level is done by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), playing an instrumental role in monitoring the projects to utilize the full potential of this path-breaking mission. The Minister stated that India’s urban future will draw heavily from the innovations being nurtured in these 100 smart cities.
Smart Cities Mission launched on 25 June, 2015, is aimed at providing core infrastructure, clean and sustainable environment and a decent quality of life to their citizens through the application of ‘smart solutions.’ 100 cities selected through a two-stage competition to be developed as Smart Cities are showing satisfying progress.
Smart Cities Mission, monitored by an Apex Committee headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, regularly reports implementation status of projects through the Real Time Geographical Management Information System (GMIS). As per SCM Statement and Guidelines, a Smart City Advisory Forum (SCAF) is established at the city level to advise and enable collaboration among various stakeholders.
Minister of State Kaushal Kishore lauded the pioneering effort of the Mission in successful deployment of the Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCCs) in all 100 smart cities. “ICCCs build better situational awareness by the use of cutting-edge technologies and provide consolidated visualization for civic officials across urban functions to handle day-day work, issues, exigencies through detailed SOPs,” he said.
The enactment of the Smart Cities Mission marked the beginning of a new era in the Urban Development Sector as a step towards reforming the sector, encouraging improved economic standards, smart governance, climate-sensitive sustainable environment, vibrant public spaces, digital access and health and hygiene, thus empowering the cities framework. /BI/
