As Kohima has been included in ‘fast track competition’ along with 23 states/UTs to upgrade their proposals on Smart City programme, the state government agencies and consultants are gearing up to submit the proposals before April 15, 2016.
Addressing a press conference at Kohima Municipal Affairs (KMC) office here Thursday, the parliamentary secretary for municipal affairs, economics and statistical, R. Tohanba lauded the Centre for giving Kohima another chance. He said KMC and consultants were working tirelessly on proposal. Tohanba said that in the last proposal, Kohima secured 42 points out of 50 points. The parliamentary secretary informed that another state level meeting on smart city headed by state chief minister including HoDs and AHoDs would be held at CM banquet hall on April 5 or 9.
Lamenting that many people were confused about the idea of smart city, he said Smart City was only to change the patterns in which the city should be maintained and run in a smart way such as- smart metering, smart traffic control and smart management in power sector, IT, transportation, police, road and communication. Tohanba maintained that IT would be foremost to monitor the whole system.
He pointed out that Kohima’s Ward No. 3 to 9 would be the core areas to be focused for retrofitting. Highlighting on the existing advantages in Kohima for smart city, Tohanba said that increased water connectivity, solid waste management plant at Leire and tourism infrastructure posed as advantage.
Also, speaking at the press conference, secretary municipal affairs, Dr. Maongwati Aier stated that the vision for Kohima smart city was to leverage Kohima’s emerging geo-strategic location, to foster community-led development as a regional hub for tourism and transit for Asian counties (AH-1) in near future and to be complemented by its significant natural and cultural assets, like World War II cemetery, which was the biggest WW cemetery in the world. He disclosed that commonwealth would give document in support of Kohima smart city competition by next week.
Maongwati said that this time cultural and natural assets of Kohima would be projected in a big way. He also informed that MoU has been signed with over 30 departments declaring their support and to converge funds available for Kohima smart city while meeting with chief engineers of nine departments on Thursday. Lamenting that land was the core issue, Maongwati said about five consultation meetings were held with Kohima village Panchayat elders, adding they have assured to offer assistance.
He said the core infrastructure that lacked in Kohima included road, communication, water and power.
Maongwati said KMC would be the main body for special purpose vehicle (SPV) if Kohima was selected among the smart cities. He said that five PPP firms have given their willingness to participate and work in Kohima smart city.
On funding assistance to execute smart city project in four years, Maongwati said soft loan at a minimum of Rs. 1000 Crore could be given by ADB, World Bank and PPP, besides central government would give Rs. 500 crore and Rs. 500 crore from state.
Maongwati said that after first retrofitting Ward No. 3-9, it would be later replicated in the rest of the 19 wards in Kohima.
Stating that revenue generation was one of the basic criteria, Maongwati said KMC had earned Rs. 4-5 crore last year and aimed to generate more revenue by increasing taxes.
He also informed that government has framed “tenancy laws”, which would be put up in the assembly.
The secretary also stressed on pan city proposal such as underground tunnel system for electric cables, water pipelines, cooking gas and optic fibre. Besides, uniform code of painting for houses, non-motor able roads (cycles), common mobility transport card for cycling, parking, bus and taxi, solar cells at bus stops for wi-fi hotspot and CCTV, transport mobile app and digital traffic system.
HoD suspension a lesson to other deptts: Aier
During the press conference, municipal affairs secretary Dr. Maongwati Aier said that suspension of Municipal affairs additional director and HoD would be a lesson for other departments to remain alert.
Maongwati said total amount of Rs. 2.3 crore from two schemes of central funds was alleged to be misappropriated by the HoD.
Maintaining that in the past two decades, he had not heard any officer being suspended in government department, the secretary informed that government was taking up the case and inquiry commission would be set up to probe the case.