Singapore proposes government-to-government model to develop Andhra Pradesh's new Capital

NEW DELHI: The Singapore government has suggested a government-to-government model for the development of Andhra Pradesh's new capital, which is likely to come up between the cities of Vijayawada and Guntur, and is expected to be one among the 100 smart cities that the Indian government is planning across the country.

In a meeting with Union urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu, a three-member Singapore government delegation, headed by former prime minister Goh Chok Tong, also evinced interest in cooperating with India to build the smart cities. Goh suggested that the new capital of Andhra Pradesh could become a model for replication and this could be up in a government-to-government cooperation mode that would include the governments of India, Andhra Pradesh and Singapore. Urban development secretary Shankar Aggarwal is likely to hold further talks with the Andhra government as well as Singapore.

In the budget for the current fiscal, the government had announced a plan to develop 100 smart cities across the country.Apart from the 100 existing cities that will be retrofitted into smart cities, the government is also considering developing 3-4 greenfield cities. “The broad contours of the smart cities plan has been finalised,“ said a senior government official, who did not wish to be named.

A smart city, he said, will seek to change the quality of urban life through smart supply and management of utilities such as water and power, technology-based delivery of services and governance, good communication and mobility , and efficient use of energy . “One of the deliverables will be reducing the travel time between work and office for people of the city ,“ he said. The urban development ministry will present its plan at a meeting of all state urban development ministers on Friday and seek their comments.