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Central grants for Smart City Project released

By AJIT PATOWARY

GUWAHATI, Oct 30 - The Union Government has allocated an amount of Rs 2,296 crore for the Guwahati Smart City Project. An amount of Rs 196 crore has already been released. The Union Government�s contribution to the Smart City Project is strictly in the form of grant.

The Guwahati Smart City proposal has two broad-based components � area-based development and pan-city solutions. The proposal has the objectives to promote the city and provide its residents a decent quality of life, clean and pollution-free environment and information and communication technology (ICT)-based smart solutions to their problems.

For implementing the project, the special purpose vehicle � Guwahati Smart City Development Agency Ltd � was incorporated with the Central Registration Centre of the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs on May 11, 2016, with ensuring operational independence and autonomy in decision making and mission implementation as one of the primary reasons.

Sources in the Guwahati Smart City Development Agency Ltd told The Assam Tribune that the area-based development concept includes components of building ecological infrastructure along the Bharalu River, Mora Bharalu River, Pamohi and Barsola Beel to augment the measures taken to mitigate the flash flood problem of the city. It also contains a component of development of the Brahmaputra riverfront walkway.

The pan-city solution concept includes the components of integrated information and communication technology (ICT)-based applications for transport system, which has the components of installation of GPS, wifi, computer and other electrical equipment, construction of bus stops and bus bays, road crossing etc.

In course of time, components like integrated multi-purpose transport system may be incorporated in this project, sources said.

The funds for the Guwahati Smart City Project shall be mobilised from the grants of the Government of India (GoI) and the Government of Assam (GoA), through convergence with other Central or State Government schemes, public-private-participation (PPP) mode and from loans from financial institutions etc.

For proceeding with the project works, guidelines from Government of India will be followed. The Union Ministry of Urban Development will provide support for implementation of the project.

Both the Union and the State Governments are providing full support for implementation of the project. As of now, the smart city project of the Government of India (GoI) is a five-year-long exercise and it is likely to be extended further.

Local people will be taken into confidence while executing the project. As of now, implementation of the Guwahati Smart City project is at a nascent stage, sources said.

Meanwhile, the Tata Consultancy Engineering has been selected for designing, developing, managing and supervising the implementation of the Guwahati Smart City Project. It is expected that the final agreement to appoint the consultancy firm will be signed shortly. The consultancy firm will prepare the detailed project report (DPR) at the earliest, sources said.

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