Bhubaneswar has found its name in the list of smart cities. You have already submitted a proposal to this effect. What has been the progress so far?
We met all the criteria stipulated by the Centre for the smart city scheme. We conducted both offline and online voting and created a logo for the project. As part of the smart city scheme, we want to strengthen Bhubaneswar's transport, communication, 24x7 water supply and sanitation systems. We also want to create special tracks for cycling and walking. We need 450 more buses so that they are available at an interval of five minutes in on all routes. We will develop separate lanes for cycling and walking from Bapuji Nagar to Nandankanan. All the traffic signals will also be automatic. A Wi-Fi system will also be launched.
How much money do you need to make Bhubaneswar a smart city?
In the first phase, we will only develop a portion of the city as smart city. Later it will be extended to other areas in a phase-wise manner. We need around Rs 5,000 crore.
We are talking of smart cities. But last year, the city ranked 333 in the list of clean cities in India. It was even behind Cuttack in terms of cleanliness...
In the areas under Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), many organisations are working for the growth and development of the city. Only a co-ordinated effort will make the city more beautiful. The BMC should not be held responsible alone for the shortcomings. The integrated sewerage system has not yet been completed. The problem of solid waste management is yet to be addressed. Many factors, such as local resistance to the projects, are yet to be addressed. Besides, open defecation is a major problem and we have planned to build toilets in public-private partnership. Once all these are done, we hope the cleanliness of the city will improve.
Though road engineering has developed, lack of co-ordination between police and the corporation often leads to traffic chaos. No one is there to decide where the parking system should be developed. Many unwarranted problems are arising...
I agree that there should be co-ordinated effort in this regard. This issue can be dealt with more effectively with the help of a single-window platform. Not only with the police, a co-ordination is required among various departments, such as roads and buildings department, Central Electricity Supply Utility (Cesu) and BSNL. The BMC maintains very few drains, but the main drainage channels, such as the one from airport to Sainik School, Vani Vihar to Sishu Bhavan are maintained by PWD. Another major drain, which stretches from Rasulgarh to Samantarapur, belongs to the NHAI. But when any problem crops up, people blame the BMC. We don't want to shirk responsibility, but people should understand our problems.
Mosquitoes are still a problem...
We are trying our best to check the mosquito menace. But the Gangua canal, the ongoing works to develop the integrated sewerage system and the 10 existing natural drainage channels have compounded the problem. Once these canals are cleaned and covered with slabs, mosquito menace will be reduced by about half.We are also collecting revenue of Rs 20 crore from hoardings and parking lots every year.
the leader of my party,Chandra , who is a minister in the Naveen Patnaik government? Earlier, your differences with him had reached Naveen Nivas...
These things are now a matter of the past. I share a close relation with all of them. I also share a close bonding with our MP Prasanna Patasani. All of us want to take the city forward.
Taking your earlier proximity with Pyari Mohan Mohapatra, your detractor must have tried to pull you back and sought to create problems for you...
I was not with Pyari babu. These allegations are baseless. I am always with Naveen babu. He is my leader. I always abide by his directions. Besides, no one is pulling me backwards. In fact, all are nice to me.
