The Hindu       21.09.2016    

Corporation gets off the block for Smart City race

Former Planning Board Member G. Vijayaraghavan addressing a workshop organised by the city Corporation in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday for its councillors for the preparation of a proposal for Smart City.— Photo: S. Mahinsha

Setting in motion its efforts to transform the State capital into a Smart City, the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation has initiated intensive discussions for the preparation of a proposal to be submitted to the Ministry of Urban Development.

A workshop which was held at the Corporation headquarters on Tuesday decided on a framework of activities to be undertaken as part of the ongoing Smart Cities Mission competition in which Thiruvananthapuram currently competed against 74 cities in the country. A total of 33 cities have already been selected for funding under the scheme.

According to Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V.K. Prasanth, ward committees will meet from October 1 to 10 to elicit recommendations to be considered for inclusion in the Smart City Proposal (SCP). It is likely that one of the 100 wards would be identified as a model for the implementation of the guidelines, which will later be replicated in the other parts of the corporation limits.

He added that a consulting firm will soon be roped in for the project from among as many as six entities which have expressed interest.

Unite, councillors told

Addressing the participants of the workshop, former State Planning Board member G. Vijayaraghavan appealed to the councillors to work for the larger interests of the city as the Smart City project would not provide for projects planned in each ward in the corporation. He held the view that the ward committees must take into account civic issues that are likely to crop up at least within the next five years and suggest solutions to address them.

Former Chief Town Planner A. Kasturi Rangan said that ‘smart’ solutions to various problems referred to measures that were technology-oriented and also derived from among the best practices in the world.

Later, a presentation was conducted by Riby Rachel Mathew, Urban Planner, State Mission Management Unit, on the guidelines of the Smart Cities Mission.

She also explained the steps that were undertaken for the preparation of the SCP in Kochi and the formation of a special purpose vehicle, the Cochin Smart Mission Ltd, for implementing the project. Members of the corporation technical committee including scientist Ajaya Kumar Varma of the Centre for Earth Science Studies, former director of NATPAC T. Elangovan and historian Malayinkeezhu Gopalakrishnan were among those who participated in the discussion.

The Hindu        02.09.2016  

Hassan CMC ready to provide housing for municipal workers

The City Municipal Council has resolved to provide houses to 82 municipal workers. The council has identified one acre and 23 guntas of land to construct a multi-storeyed housing complex for them.

CMC president H.S. Anil Kumar, who chaired the CMC meeting held on Thursday, said land for the project has been identified close to Vani Vilas Pump House. “CMC is ready to construct a multi-storeyed housing complex for the workers. But the workers have demanded sites, instead of houses,” he said.

Members cutting across party lines are in support of the housing complex plan. At the meeting, they suggested that Mr. Anil Kumar hold a meeting with municipal workers and get them on board.

The CMC also discussed the drinking water supply project sanctioned under the AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) scheme. The president said they had identified six acres near Gorur for the project.

However, the land owners are said to be demanding a lot of money as compensation. It was suggested that the council sit down with the owners and resolve the issue amicably.

CMC vice-president Leelvati Vasu, commissioner Nagabhushan and other officials were present at the meeting.

The council has identified one acre and 23 guntas of land to construct a housing complex for them