The battle with petty vendors encroaching road pavements, particularly those leading to the metro stations of the national capital, is an ongoing, and apparently a losing one. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's comments on offering namaz at public places has brought to focus the reality that parks, traffic islands, road sides and even vacant plots are grabbed to hold temporary religious events or even build temples and mosques that remain untouched as authorities lack the political will to order demolition of these.
The problem is not confined to one or two cities, but rampant across the country. The government is now hoping that these problems won't plague the smart cities that are being hugely funded.
For the first time, since the Smart Cities Mission was launched, these issues will be discussed at a conference on the Smart Cities Mission inaugurated in Bhopal on Tuesday by Hardeep Puri, Union minister of state for housing and urban affairs. The conference is intended to help the CEOs brainstorm and learn from each other, and more importantly give the Smart Cities Mission an acceleration in terms of implementation.
The CEOs of Smart Cities will share experiences on issues like developing walkable streets and creating vibrant urban spaces such as squares, plazas and waterfront developments, and hopefully dwell on how to keep them walkable and accessible for all.
The conference will also discuss issues like digitally integrated smart city centres, women safety, promotion of arts and crafts and culture, smart education and skill development, and how to make them inclusive. The conference will also focus on financing urban infrastructure through the PPP route and by issuing bonds.
Puri said the ministry is well on it's way to achieve the targets before stipulated time. Besides, Jan Andolan and Jan Bhagidari should be an essential part of all government programmes and missions and there is a need to involve stakeholders having expertise in a variety of fields to contribute to the larger domain of smart cities, the minister made clear.
The Centre has also set up advisory committees on themes including entrepreneurship and start-ups, women empowerment, safety and security, smart education and skill development; divyang-friendly measures and policy recommendations, septage and sewage management, promotion of public art, urban mobility and climate change, arts and culture, and smart security.