Kerala: Smart City projects gather momentum

Kochi: With the appointment of the project management consultant (PMC) for the Smart City Mission, the implementation of various projects that have been proposed is gaining momentum. The preparation of new DPRs and revision of earlier DPRs have begun and tenders will be invited by next month. The state government appointed IPE Global as the project management consultant for the Smart City Mission on September 7. The PMC will design, develop, manage and implement various projects under the Mission.

“Though more than 80 projects were identified in 2015 when the city got shortlisted for the Smart City Mission programme of the Union Ministry of Urban Development, the implementation of many projects has been initiated by other stakeholder agencies. Hence, we had to redraft the list of projects and revise the DPRs accordingly,” said a top official of the Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML).

The project management consultant has deployed a 20-member team in Kochi and they have started a situation analysis and discussions with stakeholder agencies. “Based on the input from stakeholder agencies like Kochi Corporation, Kerala Water Authority, Kochi Metro Rail Limited, Kerala State Electricity Board and Education Department, project proposals will be finalised,” the official added.

Earlier, a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in September had decided to invite tenders for 25 projects worth Rs. 165 crore before December 31 under the Smart City Mission programme. By January next year, a detailed town planning scheme would be implemented for areas like Fort Kochi, Mattanchery, Marine Drive and MG Road which have been selected for the Smart City programme. Though Kochi earned the fifth position among the top 20 Smart cities shortlisted across the country, the city failed to sustain the initial momentum generated because of the delay in planning and implementing projects.