 "MP shifts Smart City location following citizens' protest")
Succumbing to pressure from citizens against the proposed location of the Bhopal Smart City project, the state government today shifted the project from Shivaji Nagar and Tulsi Nagar area to North Tatya Tope Nagar. Since February this year, citizens of Bhopal have been agitating against the site, which covers a huge green area. They have mainly been opposing the felling of 30,000-40,000 trees.
“A high-level review meeting on the Smart City chaired by the Chief Minister today decided to shift the proposed site of the project from Shivaji Nagar to North TT Nagar. The chief minister said it would not be in the interest of the public in view of the green cover and aesthetic value of the Shivaji Nagar area,” a government official told Business Standard. Interestingly, Shivaji Nagar mostly has government-owned houses that are rented out to scribes, government officials and others.
“The Chief Minister has asked authorities to go ahead with the new site,” the official further said. The new site has 280 hectares of land, while Shivaji Nagar Smart City was planned on 332.98 acres. Shivaji Nagar area was identified for Smarty City “in consultation with citizens.”
Three cities of the state, namely Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur had been chosen for the Smart City project. Bhopal and Indore have redevelopment projects while Jabalpur has retro fitting as well has redevelopment projects.
A local corporator (Municipal Corporation) had opposed the projects on the grounds that the Bhopal Smart City plan should be for the entire city and not for just one locality. Lok Sewa Manch, an organization of citizens, has protested against the plan at various occasions.
“The Prime Minister’s Office also intervened in the matter and asked the state government to review the proposal,” said a highly placed source in the state administration.
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“There was a plan to hand over the entire land in Shivaji Nagar area to private developers like Gammon India project in South TT Nagar. There were more than 350 trees that have been vanished now. The Shivaji Nagar Smarty City was also planned in the similar fashion,” Sharma said.
However Commissioner of Urban Development and Environment, Vivek Agrawal, had told Business Standard, “Shivaji Nagar is just one concept of the Smart City project. We chose the locality because it has 34 per cent ground coverage against available area of 330 acres approximately. It would be reduced to 28 per cent, which means we now have more area for greenery, proper sanitation, underground cables, pathways, better connectivity, bicycle lane, etc.” He had also ruled out the cutting of trees for the project. “The area would have been greener than the present as the plan is to reduce construction on ground coverage from 34 percent to 28 percent,” Agrawal told Business Standard.
An initial investment of Rs 2,500 crore was planned for the Shivaji Nagar Smart City development plan which might have fetched Rs 3,000 crore through investment from private partnership.
State has a total plan of Rs 70000 crore in urban area development. It also include Metro rail project of Rs 12000 crore, AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) of Rs 1400 crore, solid waste management of Rs 400 crore and Housing for all of Rs 5000 crore under Smarty City project.