The Puducherry government is gearing up to qualify in the third round of smart city challenge to get funds from the Centre and for development of Puducherry as a smart city. The revised proposal is being fine tuned and will be a mix of area-based development and pan city solutions.
Sources said the two earlier proposals on smart city project submitted by Puducherry were rejected for the reason that it focused on green field development alone. In the revised proposal, the government will now be identifying certain cluster areas in the city under the area-based development concept. The proposal will include pan city solutions as well and improve the liveability of the city.
“The government has proposed a service core unit along with the area-based development. The service core unit will include projects such as underground laying of cable, power, and telephone cables and pedestrian pathways that will add to the city’s aesthetic value,” a senior official told The Hindu .
A senior official of LAD said the government had organised two rounds of consultative meetings with the stakeholders, including the French Development Agency (AFD). The third round of consultation meeting on February 23 would focus on preparation of strategy, based on local aspects.
The outcome of the workshop would be a tentative list of projects that could be included in the smart city proposal. “We have collated opinion from the residents. They have suggested 24x7 drinking water supply in city, betterment of the tourism sector, and improvement of transportation and sanitation facilities,” the official said.
The projects would be evolved and compiled into a comprehensive smart city proposal.
The final proposal would be submitted to the Union Ministry of Urban Development in March.
Urban mobility was likely to be included in the revised proposal. Although French engineering major Alstom had evinced interest for a mass transport system, funding had been an area of concern that was being discussed, sources added.
