Stakeholders brainstorm at Smart-City meet

The ‘smart city’ stakeholders included entrepreneurs, businessmen, educationists, social activists and NGOs — all of whom expressed various ideas on making the concept operational. Ideas proposed included using solar lighting for houses, offices and educational institutions, improving infrastructure facilities like roads health and sanitation facilities. It was also suggested that pollution be controlled and that efforts be taken to improve the economic well-being of local people.

It may be recalled that under the ‘smart city’ concept the selected 100 cities would each be provided with Rs.100 cores out of an estimated Rs.98,000 crores. Only Tamil Nadu has selected all 12 cities allocated in this category. While Jammu and Kashmir has sought more time to decide on a potential city, UP was able to choose only 12 of the 13 cities allocated by the centre. Wanting to ensure that the Rs.100 crore sanctioned by the central government was put to optimum use, many cities in TN have sought the help of foreign companies to ensure that the scheme became a reality, upgrading life in the chosen cities.

Smart cities have to improve in areas like provision of potable water and electricity, transportation, housing for the poor, IT connectivity, safety and security for people — specially women — and children and health and education.

Though the idea was mooted in 2014 when the union budget sanctioned Rs.7,016 crores, only a meagre Rs.294 was used by various state governments resulting in the current financial year’s budget allocating only Rs.143 crores.

Tamil Nadu cities chosen under the concept include Chennai, Trichy, Madurai, Erode, Salem, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Vellore, Dindigul, Tirunelveli, Madurai and Thoothukudi. While Salem corporation commissioner K. R. Selvaraj welcomed the gathering, those present included MLAs MK Selvaraj and G. Venketesan, deputy mayor, regional committee head K. Madheswaran, Indian oil corporation manager Palanikumar, rotary club governor Ashokan, Corporation Executive Engineers,A. Ashokan, G. Kamaraj, R. Ravi, P. Mohan and others.