Pune, Solapur in Smart City list, but where's Mumbai?

Pune and Solapur are among the 20 cities selected as part of the first batch of the Smart City initiative.

Jaipur, Surat, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Jabalpur, Visakhapatnam, Davanagere, Indore, Coimbatore, Kakinada, Belagavi, Udaipur, Guwahati, Chennai, Ludhiana and Bhopal are the other cities.

Congratulating the winners of the competition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: "I wish the cities the very best as they move forward with implementation and transform urban India."

But why has Mumabi not made the grade?

The Shiv Sena's Smart City recommendations don't seem to have gone well with the Union government.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had chalked out a mega plan and had selected Lower Parel for the pilot project. Apart from better civic and transport facilities, WiFi at four spots, SATIS concept at six railway stations connecting Lower Parel and more than 60 lakh jobs were the highlights of the concept.

However, the Sena had raised objections against the proposal in the general body meeting in December. Sena had insisted that unless their 14 demands were not included, the proposal should be treated cancelled.

DNA, in its December 18, 2015 edition, had published a report on why the Sena's demands will not be considered by Centre.

"How can the Union government include the Sena's demands as an exception even as there are 99 other corporations participating? Each city will have its specific demands. Sena wanted to derail Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project," said a BJP corporator.

Manoj Kotak, BJP leader in the BMC, said: "Sena's conditions must have been a major roadblock for the Smart City project. But we are hopeful that the central government will consider Mumbai."

Rais Shaikh, Samajwadi Party leader in the BMC, said that this is a case of sheer negligence on the part of civic officials. Action should be taken against officials responsible for the fiasco.

The 14 Sena suggestions

1) The area selected for development should be treated only as an example. The general body, comprising 232 corporators should have the right to decide the area to be developed.
2) When the concept will be implemented, it is expected to generate 60 lakh jobs and 80% jobs should be given to sons of soil
3) No private equity should be allowed
4) Entire Mumbai should be covered under Wi Fi net.
5) The concept should be limited to select area only
6) Financial planning and execution should be the rights of elected body and not the municipal commissioner's
7) More than 50% members of the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be decided by the general body of elected members. No private company will participate in the SPV with financial investment.
8) Mayor should be the Chairman of SPV
9) SPV company's name should be - Mumbai Municipal Corporation Smart City Company - and the mayor, leader of the House, Standing committee chairman, leader of the opposition and other elected members as per their strengths in the BMC should be members
10) Mechanical sweeping should be done in the area selected for Smart City concept and all footpaths should have ducting below it for utility companies.
11) The SPV Chief executive Officer should not be from any private company. The general body will decide that.
12) SPV will have no right to decide on user charges. General body will decide on such issues after ascertaining the revenue for the implementation of the project
13) Mayor should have the right to veto and as she will be the chairperson
14)Standing committee and general body will be governing the proposals taken up under the smart city concept
BMC censors 'Smart' word

As Mumbai was not included in the first list of the proposed Smart Cities, the BMC has already started showing 'withdrawal symptoms'. The BMC is taking part in the 'Make in India' week to be held in Mumbai in February and it has started doing all preparations. However, a documentary film about Mumbai and its glories was to be presented at the event. The word 'Smart Mumbai' has been used in the film frequently. Civic sources claimed that S V R Srinivas, additional municipal commissioner, has asked the team making the film to ensure that there is no mention of Smart in the film anywhere.