Pics:Spoorthi Ullal

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (DV)

Mangaluru, Sep 28: “To materialize the smart city project, we need to involve people of city and seek their cooperation. The smart city project is not a programme of politics but it is a programme for development. Union government and state government, along with City Corporation should work in unison to implement it,” said member of parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel.

He was addressing a press meet in a hotel here on Wednesday September 28.

“I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union minister Venkaiah Naidu for selecting Mangaluru for the Smart city project. People have been involving in the project with their opinions. Corporators, Mayor and very especially MLA Lobo, district in-charge minister were helpful in getting the smart city project. Centre’s 100 smart cities in country is a good concept. Smart city project has two sections; one as brown field cities and the other as green field cities. Mangaluru City Corporation comes under brown field cities. In brown field city, developments will take place in two phases; as pan-city development and area based development,” Nalin added.

“In initiative of pan-city development, the macro planning of city development will provide basic facilities such as roads, water supply, UGD, waste management and power supply. Under the initiative of area based development, micro development will provide each house with basic facilities including the facilities like global standard education, medical facilities and IT parks,” Nalin said.

“The project will be implemented in various phases. For twenty years, the project will cost Rs 40,000 crores. The pan-city project will be completed in 5 to 10 years whereas area based development will take 15 to 20 years. Union government will provide Rs 500 crores and state government will provide Rs 500 crores on per capital income,” he continued.

“To curb corruption and effective implementation of project, the government has appointed an IAS grade senior secretary, an officer and full time MD IAS to monitor the project. In first phase, a sum of Rs 1000 crores will be released for the first five years. Later, various projects such as Amruth, ADB and other programmes will be implemented which would cost nearly Rs 1000 crores. Revenue from IT, railway, medical, sports, port, road transport and green industries under planning scheme will be utilized for the same,” he added.

“Under Amruth programme, union government has sanctioned Rs 160 crores. For drinking water project under ADB Rs 160 crore, UDA Rs 120 crore, under 13th Finance Commission Rs 19 crore, 14th commission Rs 17 crore, Jeppu Kudpadi Rs 3.65 crore, Padil-Bajal Rs 12 crore, Panambur two lane Rs 427 crore, Nethravathi cabin central bus-stand two-lane Rs 18.93 crore, RMS Rs 1.63 crore, Pilikula development Rs 5 crore and New port development Rs 15 crore will be sanctioned.

“Union government has released Rs 959.21crores to MCC. We have successfully received Smart City project and Amurth programmes. Union government has also released Rs 8293.28 crores for various development works in Dakshina Kannada,” he concluded.

Deputy Mayor Sumithra Kariya, former MLA Yogish Bhat, MLC Captain Ganesh Karnik, Roopa D Bangera, Jithendra Kottary and others were present.