[Urbanstudy] Smart Cities idea is wrong, says Mamata Banerjee

[Vinay Baindur]

http://www.bgr.in/news/smart-cities-idea-is-wrong-says-mamata-banerjee/





Smart Cities idea is wrong, says Mamata BanerjeeMamata Banerjee criticizes
Narendra Modi's Smart Cities idea.
By IANS <http://www.bgr.in/author/ians/> on Jun 8, 2016 at 5:30 AM

NEWS <http://www.bgr.in/category/news/>
[image: mamata-banerjee-image]

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the idea of Smart
Cities <http://www.bgr.in/tag/smart-city/> is wrong. ”Smart Cities idea is
wrong and its theory is also wrong. ”Under the Smart Cities mission, state
governments will need to contribute Rs 500 crore in five years, i.e., Rs
100 crore in every year while central government will spend Rs 100 crore a
year for five years. This is to be spent for setting up a building with A
to Z facilities, not the entire area or the city. What about other areas or
cities?” she asked.

“It would be better not to spend Rs 500 crore. Instead, we can do much more
if the money is with us,” she said. Felicitated by all the leading business
chambers on Tuesday, Banerjee urged businessmen not to be afraid while
implementing development projects and advised them to take legal action if
local ‘agency’ creates disturbances for various political reasons.

“Six cities in Bengal are ready. These will be over the smart cities
project. We have land banks, land map and land use pattern urging
businessmen to take up projects,” she said. ”Please tell us what is easy
and what is not. There is no point wasting time for preparing detailed
project reports and follow the tendering process,” she told the captains of
industry.


She also asked why the Credai (Confederation Of Real Estate Developers’
Associations Of India) was not taking up projects and why was it so silent.

“There is no point of saying about the downturn of the economy. Is the
market subdued or we keep the market subdued,” she asked.
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