Puducherry to be developed as Smart City within three years, says CM

Speaking at a conference on Implemetation of Smart City Projects in Puducherry here, Mr Narayanasamy said though Puducherry had applied twice for the project which was evolved in 2016 but it was not selected  following which an alternate draft was prepared  for Rs 1,850 crore  and later forwarded to the Centre.

Puducherry was selected at the eighth spot  in that proposal, he said adding that Puducherry got a separate identity in the Indo-French history. Puducherry is still with French architecture,culture and tradition, peace and communal harmony.

He also said that after Goa, Puducherry is the place where most tourists are coming every year. The Puducherry administration has taken all steps to ensure their safety and security, he added.

The Chief Minister said that several developments will be there here under the smart city adding that a total of 63 schemes will be there. Particulalry modern bus station, modernisation of hospitals,development of roads ,24 hours protected drinking water supply, uninterrupted power supply etc will be there, he said. The smart city is to be completed in five years, however, the Puducherry officials were advised to ensure that it is completed within three years, he added.

The central and state government will contribute Rs 500 crore each for the  Smart City and the French Institution(French Development  Agency) Rs 350 crore. The rest amount would be mobilised through open market borrowing to complete the Rs 1827 crore project, the Chief Minister said.

Apart from the smart city project the  French Development Agency is providing a financial assistance of Rs.454 crore for the supply of protected drinking water and under ground drainage schemes  for which the Puducherry administration will con tribute  79 crores. 

Mr Narayansamy said that  the French president  Immanuel Micron will be visiting India in December and sought the help of the French Ambassador Ziegler  to  bring Mr Micron to Puducherry.

French Ambassador to India Alaxander  Ziegler, LAD minister Namasivayam, parliament members Radhakrishnan and Gokula Krishnan were among others who had delivered address on the occasion.