Civic body seeks people's views to book spot in final 'Smart Cities' list

Faridabad: Residents of Faridabad have been asked by the civic body to suggest ways to make the city figure in the Centre's final list of Smart Cities in the first year of the project.

This is for the first time that all citizens have been asked to suggest ways to make the city a smart one, D R Bhaskar, Superintending Engineer of the Municipal Corporation said.
Faridabad has been shortlisted as one of the 98 cities to be considered for the 'smart city' project by the Union Urban Development Ministry.

However, the civic body needs to prepare a Smart City Proposal and formulate a vision, sub-goals and strategies through consultation with its citizens and all stakeholders to compete for a position in first top 20 'smart cities' of the country, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and local MP Krishan Pal Gurjar said.

Suggestions from citizens are being sought through a questioneer form. The proposals can also be shared online by visiting the civic body's website and through social media, Bhaskar said.

In this series of efforts, the Municipal Corporation has started organising essay writing contest amongst school and college students and also amongst the residents of Faridabad on the topic "Mere Sapnon Ka Shahar" (City of my dreams).

Discussions with NGOs, Resident Welfare Associations, Academicians, Journalists and Industrial Associations have been organised for their suggestions on ways to make the civic systems of the city smarter, Bhaskar said.

Also a consultant company has been engaged to lay out an action plan for development of the city in line of the requirements to make it 'smart', Commissioner of Faridabad Municipal Corporation, Ashok Sharma said.

Once the action plan to ensure the four basic needs of round the clock supply of electricity, drinking water, garbage disposal and proper sewerage system are prepared, the goal to become a smart city would be much closer, Ravi Ranjan Guru, a senior official of the consultant firm said.

Sharma discussed various projects to be undertaken by Municipal Corporation in the near future and said that special attention has been given to garbage lifting and dumping the same to the land fill sites.