Smart Kurnool may hit small trade

Kurnool: The State government has an ambitious plan of transforming Kurnool into a smart city.

The smart cities envisaged by the AP government would be independent of the Central government’s proposal to create modern infrastructure in the selected cities and towns.

The government has roped in an agency of the Australian government to make Kurnool as smart city.

The aim of Smart Cities Mission is to efficiently utilise the available assets, resources and infrastructure to enhance the quality of urban life and provide a clean and sustainable environment for living.

The main focus would be on core infrastructure services like adequate clean water supply, power supply, sanitation, disaster management, solid waste management, waste water treatment, efficient urban mobility and public transportation, public healthcare system, education, affordable Housing, cyber IT connectivity, e-governance, safety and social security.

Kurnool would be developed into a smart city by undertaking works with an outlay of Rs 200 crore on the lines of Vijayawada and Guntur.

Under the centrally-funded Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, cement roads, drains, electricity and drinking water supply works would be taken up in the city with an outlay of Rs 60 crore.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) district secretary K Prabhakar Reddy alleged that smart city proposed by the State government is nothing but a fictitious city.

Earlier, the Central government had assured of making Kurnool as a smart city apart from other cities in the State and later it was deleted from the list.

The ruling government has took up the task of developing Kurnool into a smart city and assured that it would transform into a beautiful city with wide roads, beautiful parks, good drainage system besides providing many more amenities.

Recalling the Centre’s assurance, Prabhakar Reddy alleged that the Central government had proposed Kakinada to be developed into a smart city but no developmental activities were taken till to this date.

He further said the smart city scheme is nothing but to benefit the contractors and the political leaders. “It is highly impossible to make a smart city where 75 per cent population is living in slums,” he added.

The CPM leader stated the commuters and the roadside vendors have to lose their livelihood from the road widening. There is no other source of living if they are removed from the platforms, he lamented.

There are no drinking water resources to 5 lakh people in the city. One summer storage tank would not cater the needs of 5 lakh population unless another summer storage tank is constructed.