Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, currently on a trip to Spain, held detailed discussions on Tuesday with leading international companies and senior officials of the World Bank as well as Barcelona city to transform existing cities in Punjab into smart cities .
A Press statement issued here said that during his visit to Barcelona, in ‘Smart City Expo World Congress’, Sukhbir held talks with Barcelona Mayor Xavier Trias, Deputy Mayor Antony Vives, Mayor Madllin City Anibal Gaviria and other senior officials on the planning and evolution of Barcelona as a model smart city.
He also held discussions with Jerry MacArthur Hultin, president Polytechnic Institute of New York University, and Mike lake, president and CEO leading cities and senior officials of Japanese cities of Kyoto, Yokohama and Fukoka to explore building holy city Amritsar and industrial city ludhiana as smart cities in Punjab in the context of the Union Government’s initiative to develop 100 smart cities in the country.
The statement said Sukhbir stressed that the cities of Punjab having population of five to 10 lakhs, including Patiala and Jalandhar, also falls in special category for funds from the Centre to develop the cities as smart cities.He also explored with delegates to provide solutions on solid waste management, waste water treatment and safe city concept in urban areas in Punjab.More than 400 multi-national companies participated and displayed latest technology. About 75 official delegates from India participated in the Congress.