PANJIM: There is exactly a month left for the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) to submit its revised Smart City Proposal (SCP) under the ‘fast-track competition’, but the Corporation is yet to begin any exercise on drafting the modified SCP. The deadline for submission of a new SCP before the Centre is April 15.

“Without a council resolution, the Corporation cannot go ahead and revise the plan. We had no option but to wait for the new council to take over,” CCP Commissioner Sanjit Rodrigues told Herald.

However, newly elected Mayor Surendra Furtado asserted that the Corporation needs to go slow on the project and try its luck in the second phase of 30 cities. “I will also urge the Union Minister for Urban Development to consider Goa as a special case. Smart City cannot be implemented by imposing additional tax on Panjimites,” Furtado said.

After losing nearly a month due to the election code of conduct, the newly-formed Council has to pass a resolution to modify the plan in its first meeting, which is expected to take place this month.

Panjim failed to find a place in the first 20 cities selected for the Smart City Mission fund in January. The city ranks fifth in the Smart City fast-track competition list.

“As per the competition guidelines, the corporation has to pass a resolution for a revised plan. I will place the Smart City issue before the new council for it to decide on it. Only after that, the process to make the necessary changes in the plan will begin,” Rodrigues said.

Panjim secured the 32nd rank in the first round of the competition. The Union ministry is on record saying that the SCP failed in the city level criteria, area based development and pan city solutions. Some of the specific gaps in the proposal include lack of quantified service indicators, inadequate justification of urban design, lack of spatial detailing, user charges, inclusiveness, etc.