The Government of Andhra Pradesh and the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) on Sunday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for development of ‘Smart’ cities in Andhra Pradesh, particularly in Visakhapatnam.
Under the MoU, the USTDA intends to contribute funding for feasibility studies/pilots, study tours workshops/trainings.
It also proposes to support infrastructure development for A.P. by contributing funding towards advisory services to support the development of a smart city in Visakhapatnam.
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Chief Secretary I. Y. R. Krishna Rao and Director, U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Leocadia I Zac signed the MoU in the presence of Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu and officials from the US and the Indian governments in New Delhi.
Collaboration
The USTDA would collaborate with other US government agencies to promote greater Indo-US infrastructure development cooperation and to support development of smart cities in AP. It also intends to call upon US industry organisations to mobilise private expertise and resources to address important aviation and energy-related infrastructure connected to developing smart cities.
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Other agencies of the US government such as Department of Commerce, US Exim Bank would also support the effort of the two parties.
Under the MoU, specific agreements will be worked out by the Andhra Pradesh government and the US agencies with active participation of the Government of India.
Good beginning: CM
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who returned from Davos on Sunday, termed the MoU a good beginning for establishing and strengthening the administrative processes for higher growth.
The MoU recalled the US-India Joint Statement issued in September last during the bilateral summit held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama in which the US government welcomed India’s offer for US industry to be the lead partner in developing smart cities in Ajmer, Visakhapatnam and Allahabad.