The Union government has just selected Thiruvananthapuram as the second city from Kerala to be included in the Smart City urban development scheme. So where stands Kochi, the original Smart City?
Kochi has been selected as the fifth city to be included in the scheme in the first stage a year and a half ago, yet the city has not introduced any of the stipulated projects other than a Smart Card that could be used for all modes of transport and shopping. The Smart Card can hardly be considered part of the Smart City because it was brought about by the Kochi Metro Rail Limited.
Works are progressing on the water transport system to link the city to Fort Kochi. Even this work is done by the KMRL as part of its Water Metro project.
The tender proceedings have been completed to build a walkway along the General Hospital Road. Tender process is in progress for a share-auto project in west Kochi. Only these projects have received administrative clearance, mainly because the KMRL had submitted detailed project reports on them. The KMRL has been selected as the implementing agency for urban transport projects and the Kerala Water Authority for drinking water projects.
The assembly election and the change of guards have contributed to the delays in Smart City implementation. The state is yet to utilize the first installment of central funds received in April 2016 and the fund earmarked in the state budget.
The Kochi Smart Mission Limited was formed in July to implement the project but the board of directors had to be reconstituted several times due to the transfer of various department heads.
KMRL managing director Elias George has been appointed as the CEO of the special company but other appointments are still pending. The Smart Mission Limited has no office to call its own but for the KMRL office.
Even the Kochi municipal corporation has a part to play in the delay by sitting on a notification to fix the borders of the zone for the development project.
The state government approved the blueprint of the other projects in the Smart City scheme after several months, thanks to the tangle of red tapes in the bureaucracy. The government approved the appointment of IPE Global as a consultant two months ago but follow-up actions are lacking.
The company board refused to approve the decision because the government file had not mentioned the contract value. A new order with the money part was issued only this week. The board has to approve the draft contract agreement and the revised file before a contract is signed with the company. Only then can a blueprint be prepared for the scheme.
The associated project named Amrit is also in a sluggish pace. The only works done so far are the development of the Edakochi canal and the upgrade of the St John’s Park at Fort Kochi.
Kochi has lost its lead to other cities in the Smart City project. Many of them have successfully completed several projects.