Even as the Smart City Mission consultant-ICLEI South Asia and the Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP) – the nodal agency for project implementation, claim that the ‘Smart City Proposal (SCP)’ for Panjim is drafted based on suggestions and comments received from 40 percent of the city population (CCP jurisdiction), the biggest fact here lies is the allegations from opposition councilors, who alleged that they were sidelined in the consultation process. The absence of a few ruling as well as the entire opposition bench during the consultative process was the prime issue for public discussion.
The ICLEI South Asia has drafted Rs 1313.74 crore worth Smart City Proposal (SCP) for Panjim, with the thrust on ‘IT enabled municipal services’ comprising of solid waste management and e-governance and ‘Eco-mobility and public transport system’. The proposal has been approved by the High Powered Committee headed by the Chief Secretary and the same will now be placed before the CCP council for its nod on December 1. This will be followed by the approval from the State government which is expected to be done before December 8.
While presenting the final draft of the SCP, the consultant claimed that the views and suggestions of as many as 18,626 odd citizens were taken into account from where it was observed that smart mobility and the transport system was the main priority for the citizens. However, the ground reality speaks otherwise. The kiosk and the social media campaign launched by the corporation got a rather lukewarm response from citizens on the project. Not just this, but several interactive sessions held over the last one month, including the final consultation held on November 27, had poor attendees.
“The corporaters, especially those from the opposition, were always sidelined in the entire process. Our views were never taken into account. Despite CCP passing a resolution that solid waste management, St Inez creek and parking will be the main focus of the plan, all the three aspects seems to be missing,” former mayor and sitting councilor, Surendra Furtado said.
Councilor Yatin Parekh too pointed out that the suggestion given by CCP, through resolution was kept away while drafting SCP. When it comes to social networking, the Twitter handle (@smartcitypanaji) has only 18 followers till now. Also there are no suggestions received on it. The Facebook page (Imagine Panaji: Build Your smart city), which has around 640 followers by now, has hardly few (to be counted on fingers) suggestions. With this, the question arises – is the number (18,626) correct? There is no answer to this.
Urbanist Vishal Rawlley said that the consultant and CCP failed to show any smartness in any of the consultation processes while drafting the SCP. “I don’t think the authorities in Goa have understood the meaning of public consultation thoroughly. There was no transparency in the entire process,” he said, adding that the public consultation process was neither authenticated not validated.
He pointed out how the consultant, through its Public relation (PR) agency circulated forms for suggestions and comments, which spoke about issues which were difficult for the common man to understand.
A city based social activist, requesting anonymity also expressed unhappiness over the public consultation process stating that the CCP and the consultant agency failed to reach out to actual Panjimites trying to understand the prime issues haunting the city and solutions.
