Guardian minister inaugurates Smart Citizen drive

Aurangabad, Jan 25:

The district's guardian minister Subhash Desai has inaugurated the Smart Citizen drive, a mega public campaign to train and recognise residents as 'Smart Citizens', at district collectorate, today.

A joint initiative of Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), Aurangabad Smart City Development Corporation Limited (ASCDCL), Mahatma Gandhi Mission (MGM) Hospital and an NGO Aurangabad First, the drive will sensitise the citizens about the civic responsibilities through lectures, audio and video shows and street plays. An exam will follow after the training of citizens. The citizens passing the exam will be presented with a 'badge' of recognition as SMART CITIZEN, while the failures will have to undergo the training and re-appear for the exam.

The schools, colleges, hospitals, industries, associations and unions, banks, social groups etc. will be looped into the drive to achieve the objective of the smart city.

The AMC administrator A K Pandey said, " The Smart City project is not limited to infrastructural development. A city cannot truly become 'smart' without people's participation and their behavioural change. The campaign will educate and engage the citizens through training to transform them into smart citizens. The industries, NGOs, citizen groups, educational institutions of the city are appealed to participate in the drive."

The municipal commissioner and ASCDCL-CEO will head the core team for the implementation of the drive. ASCDCL deputy CEO Pushkal Shivam, deputy dean of MGM Medical College & Hospital

Dr Pravin Suryawanshi, Aurangabad First president Pritish Chatterjee, Hemant Landge, Ashish Gadekar and Ranjit Kakkad facilitated the launch of the drive.

Dr Suryawanshi said, " Currently, citizens' behaviour such as dumping of waste on public places, lack of parking discipline, traffic violence and water wastage is creating a negative impact on human health, environment, leading to wastage of resources and increase in the cost of maintenance. Hence the drive will help to make citizens responsible and understand their duties towards the community and the city."

The minister of state (MoS) for revenue Abdul Sattar, the EGS minister Sandeepan Bhumare, MP Imtiyaz Jaleel, MLAs Atul Save, Pradeep Jaiswal and Sanjay Shirsat, the collector Sunil Chavan, the commissioner of police (CP) Nikhil Gupta, superintendent of police (rural) Mokshada Patil and others were present on occasion.