Nagpur: Even as state govt winds up Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Corporation Ltd (NSSCDCL), Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) plans to continue using the expertise of its existing project management consultant Ernst & Young LLP (EY) for the next phase of its smart city initiatives.NMC standing committee is scheduled to consider a proposal on Thursday to assign additional work to EY for preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR), solution design, tender documents and bid-management support for proposed Nagpur Safe and Smart City Project 2.0. The consultant will also be tasked with preparing a policy and monetisation strategy for the city’s fibre network.The proposal seeks a four-month extension of EY’s existing e-Governance Project Management Unit (PMU) consultancy at an estimated additional cost of Rs 45 lakh. Since EY is empanelled by Maharashtra govt’s Directorate of Information Technology, the civic administration has proposed awarding the additional work directly.The move comes months after state govt ordered the dismantling of smart city SPVs, including NSSCDCL, effectively transferring their responsibilities and assets to municipal corporations.NSSCDCL had implemented 45 projects under Smart Cities Mission, with 41 completed works worth Rs 736.28 crore. However, the transition has also exposed gaps in maintenance and execution. A TOI report in April highlighted that Smart City 2.0 planning had been thrown into uncertainty after the SPV’s proposed PMU and DPR process was shelved.The latest proposal indicates that NMC now intends to revive the planning exercise through its own IT department and existing PMU rather than create a separate consultancy arrangement.Under Smart City 2.0, EY will assess existing surveillance infrastructure, prepare technical specifications, a bill of quantities, project costs, service-level requirements, risk-management plans and an implementation roadmap. It will also draft the RFP, assist in pre-bid processes and support technical and commercial evaluation before selection of a system integrator.A second component involves preparation of an NMC Duct Policy and monetisation of the city’s fibre network. EY will review existing fibre assets, assess stakeholder and regulatory requirements and identify potential revenue streams. It will also assist NMC in appointing transaction and legal advisers and prepare the RFP for selecting a concessionaire.The proposal comes against the backdrop of growing scrutiny over the sustainability of some Smart City assets. All 65 digital kiosks installed under the earlier project were found defunct, raising questions over planning, maintenance and accountability.The civic administration has proposed meeting the Rs 45 lakh expenditure.
