Bengaluru should strive for Smart City project: Former chief secretary A Ravindra

BENGALURU: Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of the country, is the ideal city to get the Smart City tag and be smart in terms of infrastructure, connectivity, communication and technology. The BBMP should work hard to get the tag and the state government should recommend it to be included under the central government-sponsored project, said former chief secretary A. Ravindra, who instituted the Smart City Foundation, a non-profit organisation to study the pros and cons of the Smart City Mission.

He told Deccan Chronicle that under the Mission, each selected city will get central assistance of Rs 100 crore every year for five years. Cities will be selected through a ‘City Challenge Competition’, where aspiring local bodies have to prove their ability to achieve the mission objectives. The state government can recommend six cities and they will be picked after fulfilling some criteria, he said.

Mr Ravindra said that he has attended some Smart City project-related meetings held in New Delhi. The idea is to bring together the government, industry and experts together for a holistic growth. As only five cities are being picked, at least 20 cities should stake claim, he said. He slammed the BBMP for not pitching for the project.

MLC Aswath Narayan said, “The BBMP does not have accurate data on property and other taxes being collected online and how many are escaping the tax net.”

Under the project, 40 points have been earmarked for own revenue mobilisation, 25 for online administration, 15 for reforms and 20 for infrastructure and communication. If the city fails to qualify under the Smart City initiative, it will be considered under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Mr Narayan said.

Smart city mission

The Smart City initiative focuses on core infrastructure services, like adequate and clean water supply, sanitation and solid waste management, efficient urban mobility and public transportation, affordable housing for the poor, power supply, robust IT connectivity, governance, especially e-governance and citizen participation, safety and security of citizens, health and education and sustainable urban environment.