Goa govt gives green signal to Panaji Smart City proposal

The Goa government has approved the Rs 981.11 crore proposal for Panaji Smart City which would be submitted to the Union Urban Development Ministry today, a senior official said here.
"The proposal has major thrust on eco-mobility, public transport system and improvement of conservation zones," Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation's Managing Director Sanjith Rodrigues told reporters here last evening.
Rodrigues said the government is confident to get Panaji in the list of first 19 cities which will receive funds this year.
The High Powered Coordination Committee (HPCC) on Smart City headed by Chief Secretary R K Srivastava yesterday granted its final approval to proposal, which will be submitted to the Centre today.

Rodrigues said the proposal looks at Rs 304.22 crores share by Central and State government respectively over next five years.
Another Rs 299.98 crore is expected to be funded through public private partnership (PPP).

The Smart City Mission consultant, ICLEI South Asia, had drafted Rs 1313.74 crore proposal for the city, which as per final proposal was reduced to Rs 981.11 crore, following revised guidelines from the Union Ministry.
"Of the total 304.22 crore state share, the entire amount would be contributed by the Goa government, as the financial position of the CCP (Corporation of the City of Panaji) does not allow it to take up such huge proposal," Rodrigues said.

(REOPENS DEL 95)
Complimenting states and urban local bodies for
submitting Smart City plans in time, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said on the social networking site "It proves Team India can do it."
"Delighted that states and urban local bodies met deadline for submitting smart city proposals," he tweeted.
He also complimented UD officials for it.