NDMC Chairman Naresh Kumar tells Navadha Pandey he is banking on the financial robustness of the municipal body and residents’ paying capacity to ensure the success of the smart city mission. Excerpts from an interview:
How do you plan to retrofit so many solutions at once?
We will be taking them up simultaneously. I feel it is manageable.
There is no short term or long term. We are working on a 1,000-day programme; we will finish everything in three years.
How will you deal with project delays?
There may be slippages of 16-17 per cent, which is normal. But I am confident that we can achieve the rest within the deadlines. We are a small body and financially strong, which is an advantage.
Will user charges be levied?
Yes, definitely, we will introduce that. People in NDMC can afford to pay user charges. If we give them service, people in Delhi, especially in NDMC, will pay.
Will you face resistance from hawkers?
That’s a major challenge. But we have already started working on it. We want to organise hawkers in a decent way, so that instead of becoming a hurdle in civic administration, they will actively facilitate the requirement of the city.
Also read: Delhi:A smart city in 1,000 days: NDMC Chairman Naresh Kumar