Smart City projects are yet to take off in Kochi even as some cities have already hit the road.
While Pune and Bhubaneswar have already implemented their pet projects, the Kochi project is yet to receive funds released by the State government. Though the Centre had released Rs.194 crore, the first instalment of its allotment, the State has not released a matching amount. Officials in the know of things said that paper work for the release of the government’s share was under way.
6 months lost
Though the Kochi project was among the first few Smart City initiatives to complete the formation of the Special Purpose Vehicle and to convene the first director board meeting before the March 31 and April 30 deadlines, local body and Assembly elections that followed upset the schedule. “Kochi lost around six months, as the model code of conduct came into existence, and no major decisions could be taken during the period,” Mayor Soumini Jain said.
After the new government took over, some officials were transferred. As most members of the director board of the Special Purpose Vehicle were officials who were nominated by virtue of their official responsibilities, it took time for new officials to get accustomed to the new responsibilities. “The city will compensate for the time inadvertently lost,” Ms. Jain added.
CEO appointment hailed
Meanwhile, the Kochi Corporation, a major stakeholder of the Smart City project, said the appointment of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) Managing Director Elias George as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Cochin Smart Mission Limited would result in the smooth implementation of the project.
Though it was earlier contended that the CEO of the mission should be a senior official, who would not concurrently take up other assignments, the government chose Mr. George for the post.
A.P.M. Muhammad Haneesh, the Nodal Officer of the project, while admitting that there was such a school of thought earlier, said the decision to give the responsibility to Mr. George had brought synergy in the functioning of various agencies that were responsible for the city’s development.
At present, Mr. George is heading KMRL, which will be implementing two of the smart solutions proposed under the project including Smart cards and smart applications. Moreover, the Kochi metro and water metro projects implemented by KMRL will improve the city’s transport scenario, he added.
Ms. Jain felt that a person who was familiar with city-specific issues would be the ideal candidate for heading the Special Purpose Vehicle. Mr. George fits the bill, as he has been associated with city projects for long, Ms. Jain said.
