Chief Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee on Friday expressed concern over the Union government not having a plan ready for implementing the smart city concept even a year after it was announced.
“I wish we had made up our mind about what a smart city is. The Union government is yet to decide whether people living in a city should be smart or the city itself should be smart?” he quipped at a workshop organised by the Urban Development Department, Alumni Centre, Bengaluru, and IIT Roorkee.
He said the government of India had proposed a “fantastic concept” of Rs. 8,000 crore for 100 cities, but was yet to give a proper definition to the smart city concept. A smart city does not mean an intellectually smart place but a happier place to live in, he said. Referring to sustainability, the Chief Secretary said, “In my opinion, sustainability means a city that will create a good life for people without becoming a burden on governments.”
Urban Development Minister Vinay Kumar Sorakke said the State was in a position to guide the Centre on smart cities. Although the State had proposed Bijapur, Hosapete and Udupi to be developed under the heritage tag, the Centre had identified Badami.
