'Pasighat qualifies as Smart City'

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITAGAR, Aug 2: Pasighat, the headquarters of East Siang district, is the only city in Aruchal Pradesh which fulfills the condition of having an existing master plan or a proposed one for being selected as a smart city under the Atal Mission for Rejuvetion and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, launched by the Centre.

Notably ‘Smart City’ is an initiative by PM rendra Modi to take the pressure off Indian metros. Basic objective is to ensure basic civic infrastructure such as drinking water and sewerage, increasing green cover in cities by developing parks and augmenting public transport among others.

Reportedly, one hundred smart cities would be developed in a phased manner in five years with fincial share of the state government, an official communiqué informed here today. The first meeting of the State Level High Power Steering Committee, constituted for steering the proposals and implementation of Smart City Mission was held on July 30 last in the Banquet Hall, Itagar under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary Ramesh Negi.

The Chief Engineer cum Director, Urban Development and Housing highlighted the criterion for selection of a City/Town as “Smart City”. He stated that only one city could be selected from Aruchal Pradesh.

In order to select a city the reports on existing service levels submitted by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) have been computed and placed before the committee for examition and subsequent selection for recommendation to the union government.

The Secretary, PHE&WS while participating in the meeting, opined that it would be better if a town having scope for future growth could be selected as Smart City.

After going through all the reports on existing service level submitted by ULBs, the committee has decided to recommend “Pasighat” for submission to the government of India for further examition and selection as smart city.

Later, Chief Secretary Ramesh Negi, while assessing the present scerio of garbage magement, landfill site, composed plant, draige system and crematorium of Capital Complex, has desired that top priority must given to all these aspects. He urged the concerned department to prepare plan and proposal so that allocations could be made as and when untied funds from Government of India as recommended by 14th Fince Commission is received, the communiqué added.