Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the urban centres of the Northeast, with their pool of skilled human resources, have the potential to emerge as growth hubs for the entire region.
He said this after laying the foundation stone of the integrated command and control centres in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura through a video conference.
“This is part of the smart governance in the Northeast. The launch of the integrated command and control centres in Gangtok, Namchi, Pasighat, Itanagar and Agartala is a welcome step,” he added.
Work orders have already been issued for 59 of the 500 projects with a total worth of nearly Rs 15,000 crore in 10 smart cities in the Northeast.
Smart City Command and Control Centres use digital technology to integrate different service networks. They enable real-time collaboration among various departments such as police, transport, power, water, sanitation, and public safety utilities.
He said Agartala has its own unique challenges owing to its saucer-shaped geography that makes it vulnerable to floods. The city administration has taken up projects under the Smart Cities Mission to manage floods.
Itanagar has plans to improve its city road network through its Smart Roads and Intelligent Traffic and Transport Management system. Pasighat is addressing the challenges of housing, energy management and business development through key smart city projects.
Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Thursday thanked the Prime Minister for laying the foundation stone of the integrated command and control centre of Agartala Smart City. He said this Rs 258-crore project will be a milestone for making Tripura a model state.
The chief executive officer of Agartala Smart City project, Shailesh Kumar Yadav, said, “Thirty smart traffic poles, equipped with CCTV and LED boards, will be installed across the city. Free Wi-Fi would also installed across the entire city so that people can use the Internet for 30 minutes. Public transports, police van, fire tenders and ambulances will be equipped with GPS. Emergency call boxes will be set up on the roadside.”
Additional reporting by Tanmoy Chakraborty in Agartala
