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Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Commissioner Praveen Kumar shares with Ch RS Sarma the vision for the city. Excerpts:
What is your idea of a smart city?
It’s about providing civic amenities and services by making use of a combination of technologies. The objective is to improve the quality of life for all. A smart city is not a showpiece, nor is it an elitist concept.
There are concerns that fishermen and slum-dwellers may get marginalised.
There are 19-20 slums within the 1,700 acres identified for development in the first phase. A smart city is not built for any particular section. As the implementation begins, these misgivings will be dispelled.
Will heavy user charges be imposed to meet the expenses?
There are many revenue generation streams in a smart city. There may be user charges, for 24x7 power or water supply, but they will not be heavy. It is demand-driven: the consumer pays only for what he consumes.
What is the vision for Visakhapatnam?
It is to build a healthy, and resilient city; we want to promote healthy lifestyles. It is a beautiful coastal city, and the project will give the direction for its growth. I have no doubt that it will develop into one of the most attractive cities in the country.
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