Mysuru denizens skeptical about smart city plans

Residents are skeptical on how genuinely the funds will be spend for the smart city project

Though people of Mysuru welcome the state government's announcement to develop the city under the Centre's 'smart city' proposal, they are skeptical of its effective implementation, that it would really contribute to Mysuru's infrastructure.

On Wednesday, Urban Development Minister Vijay Kumar Sorake announced in Bengaluru that Mysuru, Davanagere, Hubballi-Dharwada, Kalaburgi, Mangaluru and Belagavi had been chosen to be smart cities in Karnataka at an expenditure of Rs 5,000 crore each. Work on developing these as smart cities will commence as early as possible.

While welcoming the proposal for tagging Mysuru too under the 'smart cities', stakeholders were skeptical of its effective implementation.

"Funds may come, but will it be genuinely spend for the development of the city?" they said Business Standard.

Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry District Coordination Committee President Sudhakar S Shetty wondered whether it would be one more scheme like the 'solar city' or 'tourism city', which are being regularly announced but no tangible achievement is visible in this heritage or tourist city. Even the funds made available under the JnNURM or the Rs 100 crore chief minister's funding had not brought much noticeable improvement in infrastructure development or beautification of the city.

"Now, Mysuru is getting one more tag as a 'smart city'. No doubt, it is a good concept. It would help in development of infrastructure that the industries are regularly demanding. With good connectivity, industry and trade will get a boost. However, the question is whether it will be genuinely implemented to benefit the stake holders," he rued.

He also cited the example of Mysuru losing airlink with the private operator withdrawing its flights. Even projects initiated under JnNURM were on a snail pace of progress, Shetty mentioned.

Mysore District Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Association General Secretary Suresh Kumar Jain was also of the same feeling. "Money may come to Mysuru. But, how far will it be spend honestly?" he questioned.

"This is another new programme initiated by the prime minister. Now, the funds provided to Mysuru may rise from Rs 100 crore to Rs 1,000 crore. The money will come. But even this will not be enough the way it is spend," Jain bemoaned.

The smart city project, an ambitious one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it has proposed to develop 100 cities in 22 states across the country where the scheme will be implemented. It includes Karnataka, which has listed six cities to be developed as 'smart cities'. The Centre has allocated Rs 7,060 crore in this year's Budget for the proposal. The formation of smart cities aims at enabling these 100 cities with the latest in technology and infrastructure. They would be developed "as satellite towns of larger cities and by modernising the existing mid-sized cities."