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Special purpose vehicles (SPVs) to implement the smart city projects will play a crucial role in the functioning of the cities concerned, according to A Ravindra, former Chief Secretary of Karnataka and Chairman of Smart Cities India Foundation.
Making a presentation on ‘Proactive policy formulation for smart cities’ at the ‘Smart Cities India’ conference organised by Mangaluru City Corporation, here on Monday, he said the SPV, to be formed in association with the urban local body (ULB) concerned, will handle the smart city projects. The SPV will have the characteristics of a company.
Ravindra said the role of the ULBs and the powers that they have to delegate to SPVs are yet to be decided. The concept of smart cities has created awareness among people about developing their cities in general, he said.
Wellness city proposal Making a presentation on ‘Knowledge, wellness and sports city as economic growth centre’, Rajen Padukone, Group President of Manipal Education and Medical Group, stressed the need for building on the strengths of Mangaluru as a smart city.
Padukone said that the strengths of Mangaluru are education and healthcare sectors. Proposing a knowledge, wellness and sports city in Mangaluru, he said it could be a greenfield project with 500 acres of area.
While 200 acres could be earmarked as economic growth centres, the rest should be used for other purposes such as residential and commercial establishments. The economic growth centres can be developed in six-nine phases, he said.
HS Ballal, Pro-Chancellor of Manipal University, said that most of the cities in the country have witnessed unwieldy growth and they lack adequate infrastructure to meet the requirements of growth. He hoped that the smart cities mission will help in ensuring the planned growth of the cities in the country.
Mangaluru is one of the 98 cities shortlisted in the first stage of selection in the smart city challenge. Now it is gearing to get selected as one of the 20 cities in the second stage.
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