PANJIM: With the State capital – Panjim – being chosen to be developed as a ‘smart city’, the State government has to now decide whether to opt for a global tender to appoint a consultant or to select one from the list of 11 consultancy agencies empanelled by the Union Ministry for Urban Development to prepare a Smart City Action Plan.
The Union Ministry for Urban Development has empanelled 11 national and international consultancy firms to prepare detailed smart city projects for all 98 cities. It has, however, granted State governments freedom to decide whether to appoint consultants from the list or to opt for a global tender.
Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA), the nodal agency for implementing and monitoring the Smart City Mission is in process of drafting the Request for Proposal (RFP) documents, and has decided to seek the government’s view on appointing the consultant.
Speaking to Herald, GSUDA deputy chief project officer Anil Reingne said that as per the Union government guidelines the action plan has to be ready within 90 days. “The Union Ministry has granted relaxations to State to decide on the appointment of consultant. Before calling for RFP, we have to finalize whether to go for global tender or to select from among the empanelled. Once the government gives its view, RFP will be called,” he said.
Reingne said that the core infrastructure elements in a smart city would include adequate water supply, sanitation, including solid waste management, efficient urban mobility and public transport, affordable housing, especially for the poor, robust IT connectivity and digitalization, good governance, especially e-governance and citizen participation, sustainable environment, safety and security of citizens, particularly women, children and the elderly and health and education.
