PANJIM: The two-day national conference to debate on Smart Cities in the era of Digital India was inaugurated by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Friday.
Organized by Elets, the conference will serve as a platform for the selected smart cities to discuss best practices and exchange technology to efficiently implement Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘100 Smart Cities’ dream. The focus of the event will be on the way different stakeholders interact when introducing ICT in governance systems and the way these interactions affect institutions and communities, and the related decision making process.
Addressing the gathering, Parsekar said that Modi’s vision is to transform and improve India, and he has chosen Digital India as the means to do so. “This two-day session and the deliberations that will take place will help us move towards that direction,” he said.
The summit attended by 33 cities selected under smart city development mission, will hold sessions and discussions on various themes including smart cities, Digital India, Make in India, Swacchh Bharat, AMRUT, etc.
“Smart cities backed by efficient technology are the way forward. The challenge is to create a living environment which is just as good today to live in as it will be in the future. Growth can be developed by strategies that focus on conservation and development. What seemed like science fiction earlier is actually the opportunity at the horizon for the future. Goa will have much to gain from this conclave,” vice chairman of Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) Siddharat Kuncolienkar said.
Maharashtra Minister of State for Finance and Planning, Deepak Kesarkar, Secretary urban development Sudhir Mahajan, GSIDC chairman Dr Pramod Sawant, GSIDC MD Sanjit Rodrigues, CCP Commissioner Deepak Dessai and several other key players were present for the inaugural.
