HCN: Now that we have this Special Purpose Vehicle, what role will it play to make Panjim smart?
SIDHARTH KUNCALIENKER: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has developed the concept of smart city. Panjim from Goa was chosen by the State government to bid for this competition. We could not get it through the first phase, but we were fortunate enough to learn from mistakes and get nominated and selected in the second round of smart cities. As per the mandate of the smart cities mission SPV that is limited company has to be formed consisting of share holding of local body and the government and the shareholders EDC limited and Goa State Industrial Development Corporation (GSID), which together formed the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd. (IPSCDL), which is carved out to implement the smart mission.
HCN: What is the budget given to you and what is your task?
SWAYANDIPTA PAL CHOUDHURI: The budget that has been approved for this smart city proposal is Rs 1000 crore and this is for all the smart cities that are chosen. It is a mandate of India which the Center will be funding. But in addition to that, there are so many other opportunities that are available. There are soft loans that are available from multi-lateral institutions at rates that you cannot imagine. There are other institutions that are willing to extend their support. The way the smart city has been conceptualised is actually on the delivery. Money is never a problem as long as the intent is good. As far as we are concerned, finances are not the issue at all.
HCN: Do we really require SPVs right now when we have the municipal corporation and councils working?
SWAYANDIPTA PAL CHOUDHURI: Yes, for a smoother implementation I think SPV is required. And it is mandated as per the smart city mission of the Central govt. The local urban body for us it is the Panjim Corporation in terms of taking up this project. They have also been of great help to us. Every corporator of our council has been working in co-ordination of the mission objectives.
HCN: So what are the changes we are going to see in Panjim in coming three to four months?
SWAYANDIPTA PAL CHOUDHURI: Apart from the Mandovi project and the Althino step bridges, we are also taking a lot of initiative to make citizens’ lives safer and simpler. We are implementing an integrated command and control center for the entire city which will serve as not just a surveillance center and not just the Wifi but beyond that. We are incorporating a safe system where even a criminal who is passing by in the city is detected. Even erratic traffic movements will be detected and immediately the information will be sent out to the concerned officials. We are also incorporating smart parking in that. In addition, automation of solid waste management is also being done so that people come to know when their garbage is going to be collected and whether it was collected or not and all these plus local addition to the body in terms of announcement of tax collection. All this features are there in this smart city mission which will be implemented shortly.
HCN: So what is the technology you are going to use for this?
SWAYANDIPTA PAL CHOUDHURI: It is a major integrated solution. So if you are talking of a Wifi which is free of cost available to the citizens and to the tourists, we are talking about an integrated solid waste management system. So, how people are going to come in to collect your garbage or whether your garbage has been collected to the last final detail and for what reason the garbage has not been collected will be assessed. We are going to introduce open technology when we scale up in the system and the nodal agency for all kind of smart interventions in the State of Goa. Whatever we are doing, we are ensuring that it is done in a scalable mode so that tomorrow this entire technology be it camera, Wifi etc it has to be enhanced to other cities and the costs have not been escalated to that extend as well. We can put additional sensors, additional hardware and just expand the system in a scalable manner.
HCN: So how do you make this model sustainable?
SWAYANDIPTA PAL CHOUDHURI: One mode of funding is the Central government which is providing 50 per cent of the project cost. Plus the State government puts in the other 50 per cent. But the main thing is what we have started the GIS system which will actually enhance the tax collection without increasing the taxes. We are mapping every house occupant in Panjim city so that there is a better tax collection system. We are also introducing a smart city card so that digital payment is incurred, better public bus system and other transport facilities. They will also be accepting this smart card which will provide incentives from the service bank which will be selected through competitive bids. These are various means to mop up the revenue.
HCN: What measures are you taking so that the life becomes easier for Panjim citizens?
SWAYANDIPTA PAL CHOUDHURI: In 2015 we had introduced one way system for all the roads and it is quite successful and in fact the media helped us a lot in making it successful. People appreciated and now they are following this one way system. Coming back to parking spaces one multi-level park has been already constructed near the Santa Monica jetty. The other parking lots will be constructed in the city at Junta House warehouse, PWD garage St Inez, Parade ground, near Doan Paula circle etc. Recently the Dona Paula circle which is going to be a major parking area has been transferred to smart city project to develop it. So these are various points which will have a concentrated parking lot. Even the church square garden we planned to raise it up a little and provide a basement parking so that at least 50-60 cars can be parked there and the sensors in your app will alert you whether parking space is available or not.
HCN: So when are you planning to launch this app?
SWAYANDIPTA PAL CHOUDHURI: Very very soon. So as a part of the integrated command and control centre (ICCC) work, which is the main component is ‘my city’ app of ‘my Panjim App’.. the name can be decided later, which will contain all the information. There will be other things like garbage collection and that single app will control everything. It will give you the information on your finger tips. That is the entire idea then and once the work gets awarded then the app would be developed hopefully within the next 4-5 months.
