The government proposes to establish a ‘Smart City Advisory Forum’ at the city level for all 100 smart cities, it said in reply to Standing Committee on Urban Development’s recommendation on social audit and monitoring of schemes.

The forum aims to advise and enable collaboration among various stakeholders and will include the District Collector, Member of Parliament, Member of Legislative Assembly, Mayor, CEO of Special Purpose Vehicle, local youth, technical experts and members from local areas.

The panel recommended setting up of a Vigilance Committee under the Chairmanship of local MPs to monitor the progress of Urban Development Ministry’s schemes.

“The Ministry must be firm in dealing with those states which continue to be recalcitrant in following the Ministry’s policy decisions,” the committee said.

As far as Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation is concerned, the government said that under the mission, there is a provision to constitute a district-level review and monitoring committee which will monitor and review the implementation of the projects.

Monorail sector

On the issue of promoting monorail, the committee pulled up the government for “its stereotyped casual reply that the Government of India supports all kinds of public transport system including monorail as per National Urban Transport Policy”.

The committee, in its earlier reports, had strongly recommended that the Ministry of Urban Development should act as facilitator, provide budgetary allocation from Union Budget to promote monorail projects and facilitate foreign collaboration.

“The Ministry should pursue and motivate state governments to come forward with proposals for monorail system and intimate them about the concrete steps being initiated/ proposed to be initiated in this direction,” the committee said.

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