Three years after the Smart Cities Mission took off in the country, 2,765 projects worth ₹1,34,401 crore are in various stages of implementation, while 243 projects worth ₹4,853 crore have been completed. Projects worth ₹1,00,177 crore are under Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage, while a total investment of ₹2,03,979 crore has been proposed for 99 smart cities, according to Pratap Padode, founder and executive director of Smart Cities Council India.
Delivering the inaugural address at the Fifth Smart Cities Summit-2018 here on Thursday, he said 86 cities have incorporated Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and 62 have procured Project Management Consultants (PMCs) even when the initiative has been facing an uphill task owing to stumbling blocks like capacity building, conceptualisation, standard and specification guidelines.
Private smart cities
Mr. Padode called upon the government to encourage development of private smart cities through incentives, exemptions, reduced interest and charges on zoning premiums, land share charges etc. Special planning authority (SPA) should be formed for operating and managing integrated township projects along with single window clearances for building and manufacturing units.
Although listed as speakers, none of the top officials of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were present at the inaugural, whereas Karnataka was represented by its Urban Development Minister R. Roshan Baig and two senior officials—Bengaluru Metro Chief Mahender Jain and Urban Finance Development Corporation Director A.B. Ibrahim. All the seven smart cities of Karnataka have set up kiosks, while there are none from the Telugu States.
An interesting aspect of the summit is the presence of infrastructure companies from China, further bolstered by the presence of vice-president of China Chamber of Commerce & Export Machinery & Electronics Products (CCCME) Shi Yong Hong.
“China and India are the two largest developing countries with same strategies and dreams. Our President and your Prime Minister have met over 10 times in the last three years. Our countries have similar plans and initiatives. While China has Made in China 2025, Internet Plus and Mass Innovation, India has Make in India, Digital India and Smart Cities. We need to match these strategies to grow together,” he said. By 2030, more than 0.7 billion people would be residing in Indian cities and India has to build 100 smart cities to cater to them. China can help and be a partner in developing Smart Cities in India with our innovation technology and manufacturing, he said, pointing out that CCCME comprising of China Road & Bridge Corporation; Power China International group; ZTE corporation China ENFIL Engineering Corporation and others, was ready to invest.
“We firmly believe that to realise our dreams, India and China should co-operate and speak together so that the entire world will listen to us,” Mr. Hong added.
