TRICHY HIRES JLL, TATA CONSULTING ENGINEERS & TOWNLAND CONSULTANTS TO FRAME SMART CITY PROPOSAL

A week after Trichy was officially announced as one of the cities for the smart city project, the civic body is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that it is shortlisted for the first phase of funding. With 24 cities to be selected on the basis of innovative proposals submitted by them, the Trichy Corporation has hired a US-based consultant firm for framing the proposal.

Sources from the city corporation confirmed that the US-based firm Jones Lang LaSalle Property Consultants India Private Ltd, in association with Townland Consultants Private Ltd and Tata Consulting Engineers Ltd would help the city prepare its proposal for the smart city challenge. The city corporation has received communication from the commissionerate of municipal administration (CMA) over the selection of the US-based firm. The firms are likely to visit the city in the upcoming days for next level deliberations with corporation officials to frame the proposal.

Each city would formulate its own unique vision, mission and plan as part of the smart city challenge where all 100 cities would compete to bag funds for the project. Initially, 24 cities with the best proposals would be selected for funding. Once shortlisted, each city would be allocated Rs2 crore for consultation. Then, the cities are required to spend Rs500 crore in the next five years with Rs100 crore each every year to provide it the necessary infrastructure boost.

The major areas pertaining to smart cities include sanitation, waste management, quality of life and affordable housing. Meanwhile, the corporation commissioner along with the city engineer attended the two-day consultation meeting on smart cities project held in New Delhi on September 1 and 2.