Karnataka Govt keen to develop/upgrade existing towns and cities as ‘smart cities’
In a recent statement made in the Karnataka State Secretariat, Vinay Kumar Sorake – Karnataka’s Minister for Urban Development – said that the State would prefer to develop or upgrade existing towns and cities as ‘smart cities’ instead of creating new greenfield cities.
With the Union Government not having laid down any guidelines or formula as yet for setting up ‘smart cities’ in India, Sorake said that the Karnataka government is of the opinion that developing existing towns and cities as ‘smart cities’ would be a better proposition than developing new ‘smart cities.’
Sorake said that the Karnataka government’s suggestion of upgrading existing towns and cities as ‘smart cities’ is essentially rooted in the fact that the move will not only help save resources, but will also bring about a notable improvement in the “life and living standards” of existing cities.
Further elaborating the viewpoint of the Karnataka government, Sorake said: “Creating new cities needs huge amounts of money to provide sanitation, power, water, transport, in addition to environmental issues.”
Meanwhile, with the Union Government having scheduled a meeting of the Urban Development Ministers of all states on September 12, Sorake said that Karnataka government’s views will be presented at the national forum.
Source – The Hindu Business Line
Environmental issues, Karnataka government, Karnataka State Secretariat, Karnataka’s Minister for Urban Development, Power, Sanitation, Smart cities, Transport, Union government, Urban Development Ministers, Water
