US office to promote smart city project

People expect a direct benefit from the project, says Ganta

Residents of Kirlampudi Layout at the signing of MoU between Cityzen, the CSR arm of Phoenix IT Solutions, and the residents' assocation in Visakhapatnam on Monday.— Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

The US Government will open an office in the city to give technical expertise and advice in the city becoming a smart city, MP K. Haribabu has said.

Stating that no guidelines had yet been worked out for the Smart Cities project, he said the Government of India had asked Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) to work out guidelines and the Government of Andhra Pradesh also assigned the task to ASCI and the process was on.

The MP was addressing a meeting organised on the occasion of Cityzen, the CSR arm of Phoenix IT Solutions, signing an MoU with Kirlampudi Residents Welfare Association for a technology platform.

Mr. Haribabu wanted all RWAs to be active like KRWA.

Recalling his recent experience, Minister for HRD Ganta Srinivasa Rao said people had expected huge sums of money or some direct benefit to them. The working group on Smart Villages was given 20 non-negotiable parameters like nutrition, clean water and drainage. He complimented Phoenix’s action as the first step towards development.

Visakhapatnam Port Trust Chairman M T Krishna Babu termed smart city a hassle-free city. However, livelihood issues had to be balanced with development and the difficulties in enforcing various regulations. He stressed the importance of disposing solid waste in the localities and said transporting all the garbage to Kapuluppada was unsustainable. He suggested that well-off RWAs adopt a slum each to create awareness on civic responsibilities and issues. The VPT would provide support from its CSR funds.

Municipal Commissioner Pravin Kumar said the institutional and infrastructure gap would be plugged and services delivered using IT and ITES. “But we can’t integrate smart technology unless basic infrastructure is in place,” he said. Capacity- building was required for the civic staff.

Mr. Pravin Kumar said the residents also should question the civic workers. And they would be empowered through technology to do it. He exuded confidence that by the time the guidelines came, Visakhapatnam would be on the threshold of evolving into a smart city and would be ahead of other cities.

MLA V Ramakrishnababu wanted citizens to play an active role and cited the problems in watering saplings planted after Hudhud at MVP Colony.