Bengaluru is among four cities in the country selected by the World Economic Forum, a Geneva-based not-for-profit organisation, to pioneer a new global policy roadmap for smart cities developed by the G20 GlobalSmart Cities Alliance. The other Indian cities selected for the programme are Faridabad, Hyderabad and Indore.
In a statement, the World Economic Forum said this year, the Alliance is developing a policy framework for cities that will form the basis of the work to advance global policy norms. The “pioneer cities” will adopt policies for privacy protection, better broadband coverage, accountability for cyber security, increased openness of city data, and better accessibility to digital city services for disabled and elderly people.
Confirming the development, Bruhat BengaluruMahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad said that the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic had changed lives. In the fight against the pandemic, cities across the world are trying to get back to economic activities as part of the recovery process and technology plays a vital role in this process. “Through the programme, we will be able to share best practices on a wide range of issues the world is facing, such as data privacy and data protection,” he said.
He added that through best practices from across the globe, privacy documents will be drafted. “We possess a lot of data about the city; we hope to learn more about using this data for the benefit of citizens without compromising on privacy,” he said.
