Advisory forum mooted for Shimla Smart City project

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 10

After well over a month the Centre included Shimla under National Smart City Mission, Chief Secretary VC Parka today gave the mission a first push, saying that the state urban development department would soon constitute a special purpose vehicle (SPV) and city advisory forum to execute the Rs 2905.79-crore plan.

As per its Shimla Smart City Mission plan submitted to the Ministry of Urban Development, Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) aims to rebuild the old city bazaars, shift the maze of overhead electric cables underground, create new parking, smart streets and the roads and pedestrian paths and smart transport for easy movement of public in the city.

The smart city plan also envisages creating traffic tunnels, escalators, e-public toilets and assured water supply and other infrastructure catering to the growing population of the city and the tourist to make the city liveable, smart, clean and green for all.

“We will create a special purpose vehicle involving all stakeholders in executing the Smart City project. Besides, the board of directors and the city advisory forum would be soon notified for the purpose”, Pharka said. They would work on 50 main focus points under the mission, he added.

Addressing a gathering at the workshop organized by the Urban Development Department Pharka further said: “The shanties like Krishanagar, Sabji Mandi, Lower Bazaar and Middle Bazaar are proposed to be rebuilt, while the new tunnels at Dhalli and Lakkar Bazar would be constructed”.

He directed all the departments concerned to pool in efforts to prepare the DPRs in a time-bound manner.

The Shimla Smart city plan has been prepared with suggestions sought from over 1.15 lakh people. The suggestions vary from solution to ease traffic congestion to water and parking problems and public toilets, parks and paths.

The workshop was attended by various stakeholders, including the Urban Development Additional Chief Secretary, Manish Nanda, Shimla new Mayor Kusum Sadret, deputy Mayor Rakesh Sharma and former Mayor Sanjay Chauhan, Commissioner GC Negi, joint commissioner and mission head Prashant Sirkek and other TCP, SMC and urban development officials and members of the NGOs.