Smart Cities: Process on to pick experts to execute action plans

The four cities from Karnataka selected in the second round of the Smart City initiative have commenced the process of selecting project management consultants to help execute their respective action plan for city improvement.

The corporations of Hubballi-Dharwad, Mangaluru, Shivamogga and Tumakuru have invited request for proposals from interested project management consultants and have fixed January 6, 2017 as the last date for submitting the proposals.

According to sources in the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) in Bengaluru, the nodal agency for the Smart City initiative, the cities will simultaneously work on constituting Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) for programme implementation.

The SPVs are companies with a board of directors from the state government, Ministry of Urban Development and independent directors.

The SPVs are proposed to be put in place to ensure autonomy in decision-making and mission implementation of smart cities.

The cities of Belagavi and Davangere, selected in the first round of the Smart City initiative, have already received Rs 388 crore each to execute their planned projects. The Centre and state governments have chipped in with Rs 194 crore each (two annual instalments for the five-year Rs 1,000 crore Smart City Mission).

While Belagavi and Davangere have finalised their priority areas for development after public consultation, the four cities selected in the second round will soon have to put in place a forum for public discussion and debate before finalising their action plans, the sources said.

 All the cities trying their luck to get into the Smart City Mission list have to submit their proposals in two parts- one pertaining to area-based development and the other on their plans for pan-city development.

B’luru to try its luck again
Bengaluru, which missed out in the second round of the Smart City challenge due to lack of proper consultation while preparing an action plan for improving the city’s infrastructure, will be trying its luck again in the third round of the initiative, the process for which is scheduled to commence in January.
DH News Service


Mangaluru
Redevelopment of 1,628 acres of Hampankatta-Old Port-Bunder-River front area
To launch “One touch Mangaluru” app to provide city with 24x7 municipal services, security, transport operations
Aquatic node: Boosting fishing, trade, recreation and transport connectivity besides beach development

Hubballi-Dharwad
Strengthening multi-modal transport (from airport to railway station)
Putting in place Non-Motorised Transport policy in non-vehicular zones
Achieving ‘sense of space’ by developing public spaces and parks
Introducing GPS, GIS for improving efficiency in source segregation of garbage

Shivamogga
Development of land stretches along the River Tunga passing through Shivamogga city (275 acres)
Putting in place an Integrated Traffic and Transportation System
Intelligence LED street lighting and surveillance

Tumakuru
Decongest city centre by expanding CBD around Tumakuru Amanikere lake
CCTV camera surveillance across the city
To set up integrated city management controlcentre to operate services like transport, water andenergy supply and emergency response