Obama visit: US, India to sign 3 MoUs for smart cities

New Delhi, February 2015 – The Government’s flagship scheme smart cities is set to receive a boost with US President Barack Obama’s visited to New Delhi with pacts being signed for Allahabad, Ajmer, and Visakhapatnam.

“Three MoUs will be signed with the representatives of United States Trade and Development Agency with the respective Chief Secretaries of State Governments of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh,” a senior official of the Ministry of Urban Development told Business Line.

The pacts will be to assist the cities in project planning, infrastructure development, feasibility studies and capacity building, the official said.

During the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US in October last year, the country had offered India its expertise in developing these three smart cities apart from joining hands with civil society and authorities to provide clean water and sewage facilities in 500 cities in India.

“The three pacts will focus on solutions related to urban issues such as transportation, communication and energy related infrastructure,” the official said, adding that consultations will follow and private investment will be encouraged according to city specific needs.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) had last week signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Urban Development to assist the Government with knowledge exchange and sharing of best practices for water and sanitation services, with likely spends of about $ 2 million per year. A separate Memorandum of Cooperation was signed with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation under which the latter will provide technical and management support in the implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission.

The Government plans to develop 100 smart cities for which an amount of Rs.7,060 crore was proposed in the Union Budget for 2014. Business Line