Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday asked the people to be prepared for higher taxes or user charges in order to realise the dream of smart cities and upgraded, modern infrastructure in the existing ones. While adding that the people would feel comfortable doing so if things were executed in a transparent manner and with accountability.
Naidu was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony for the first and only greenfield smart city project, in Ranchi. He also laid the foundation stone for an urban civic centre, a convention centre and an urban planning and management institute.
Calling for the need for peace and security in the state, Naidu also asked those who follow Maoist ideology to drop the bullet and take to ballot, or be prepared for the consequence. The VP said, “Nothing can be a justification for violence in a democratic nation. But there are people who remain silent when Maoists kill common people, but raise hue and cry when Maoists are killed. They begin talking about human rights. Human rights are for the common people, the poor people. Those who kill are not humans, he said, adding that peace and security was required for development and success of any project.
Naidu also said that Ranchi did not get the smart city project because of any political consideration, “It was through a competition. When I was the (Urban Development) Minister, (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji told me not to award or leave any state or city due to political reasons. So, today, if Ranchi has got the project, it was not because of Naidu. He said that, once completed, this one city would be like a light house, setting an example and leading to demand for more such cities.”