Hidco submits plan to Centre for Smart City project

The West Bengal Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco) has submitted plan along with three other areas to the Centre for the proposed Smart City project.

New Town, Rajarhat, Bidhannagar, Haldia and Durgapur will be developed under the Smart City project. The last date of submission of the plan was December 15.

The area that will be brought under the scheme will get Rs 100 crore for five years from the Centre and the respective state governments will give another Rs 100 crore for the project. So the project will get Rs 200 crore per year for five years.

Under the Smart City scheme the main thrust will be on the use of technology to improve the quality of life. A Citizen Complaint Management Software has been prepared and Ananda Babu will be the face of the technology. Anyone trying to lodge any compliant will have to call up a stipulated number to record his complaint. The senior officials including the chairman will have to answer if the complaint has not been addressed within a specified time. The complaint will be informed at every level of action taken by Hidco and thus making the whole system very transparent. 

Sen said a public cycle sharing scheme has been included in the proposal. Under the scheme, a person can hire a cycle, pay the required charges and take it to his work place. Then while going back home he should return the cycle. He said the students would be immensely benefited as they would not have to wait for public transport. A graded lane will be made only for cyclists.

Top professionals, who work in multi-national companies and are staying in Rajarhat, have been made members of the advisory committee. As they have western exposure and know the city well, their tips are invaluable and can help Hidco to take steps to provide better amenities to people. 

A senior official of state Urban development department said it was hoped that the Centre would give clearance to the four areas in the first phase. Once it get Centre’s nod, the schemes will be made to improve the areas.