Interim body of SPV set up

Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Urban affairs minister Hamletson Dohling said that interim body of the SPV has been constituted to facilitate the registration process and calling for application for the appointment of the chief executive officer (CEO).

He said the director of urban department is presently heading the SPV interim body as the CEO.

With the funding pattern is on a 50:50 basis between the Centre and the state, the state government had earlier submitted a proposal requesting the Centre to consider changing the funding pattern to 90:10 or 80:20 basis for Meghalaya.

Asked, the minister said that the state government is still waiting for the response of the Centre on the matter.

He however said that the government is also proposing to explore many options which include taking up some projects on private-public- partnership (PPP) mode.

“We are also considering the option of taking loan besides requesting funds from the urban department,” Dohling said adding that the government is committed to ensure the smart city project is implemented in the state at any cost.

On June 20 this year, Shillong was selected as the 100th city, the last one to get included under the Smart Cities Mission.

The Union ministry of Housing and Urban Development said that Shillong was selected after evaluating the proposal submitted by it.

Twenty cities were selected in January 2016 under Smart Cities Mission followed by 13 cities in May 2016, 27 cities in September 2016, 30 cities in June 2017 and nine cities in January 2018.

With Shillong, the total proposed investment in the finally-selected 100 cities under the Smart Cities Mission would be Rs 2,05,018 crore.

In February last year, the Meghalaya government had prepared a proposal for the Smart City Mission. According to the proposal, the financial implication for implementing the smart city project for Shillong was worked out at Rs 1,279 crore. Of this amount, Rs 1,272 crore has been earmarked for area-based development and Rs 7 crore for pan-city development.

Work under the area-based development includes sewerage, sanitation, storm-water drainage, redevelopment of ïewduh, the biggest market in Shillong, water supply, public information system and public safety, power, solar lighting, rehabilitation of vendors and development of a market complex at Polo, facilities for street vendors and skill development, smart parking, flyovers, pedestrian pathways, roads, and others.

The projects proposed to be undertaken under pan-city development include smart transport and solid-waste management.

By Our Reporter