A delegation from US India Business Council will hold its first meeting in the city, one of the three selected for development as Smart Cities with the US collaboration.
Municipal Commissioner M. Janaki who participated in the US India Business Conclave at New Delhi said the team evinced interest in first visiting the city, probably next month.
GVMC made a presentation at the conclave on its infrastructure, solid waste management, water supply, storm water drains etc and the gaps in them. Allahabad and Ajmer are the other two cities for development of smart cities with the US support.
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The council’s visit is intended to find ways of overcoming the gaps in collaboration, investment and funding. The funding will be in the form of a soft loan, Ms. Janaki told reporters here.
The city needs civic service-oriented investment and water supply and solid waste management offered scope for it, she said. The idea of a smart city is basically to improve municipal services with technology support.
Ms. Janaki said the integration of soon-to-be ready Master Plan under preparation by VUDA with the smart city plan would depend upon the guidelines.
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Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu who spoke at the meeting said that a clear paper on smart cities and guidelines would also be issued by next month. The Union Government has announced that 100 smart cities would be developed.
The US members raised doubts over the clearance process that might be delayed owing to control by various departments unlike in the US where the Mayor wielded the powers to clear. Ms. Janaki said the Chief Minister heading the Metropolitan Development Authority would facilitate speed up the clearance process.