Housing rights task-force objects to NDMC's smart city project

The Delhi Housing Rights Task Force, an organisation working for adequate housing rights of citizens, has objected to the selection of New Delhi Municipal Council for the central government's smart city project.
"No other proposal seems to be considered from Delhi which represents a significant lost opportunity to seek central support in areas that reflect pressing needs of city.
"No other information exists in the public domain about why no other proposals were developed," said the Delhi Housing Rights Task Force, a collective of individuals and organisations, working to protect and promote human rights of adequate housing.
"No adequate citizen consultation as laid out in the smart cities mission was carried out on proposal that was submitted in our names as citizens of Delhi. This seems to be a compromise with the transparency commitments of the central government's project," the group said in a statement.

NDMC area which is home to the high and mighty in the country, has been selected among the 20 cities of the Union Urban Development Ministry's Smart City initiative, enabling it to receive a funding of Rs 500 crore for various projects.
The officials from the civic body were not available for their comments on the issues raised by the Housing Task Force.