Dr Asangba Tzudir
Kohima was selected for the Smart City project in 2016, and was incorporated under Companies Act 2013 in the year 2017. Subsequently on the structural part a City level Advisory forum was formed and in the years that followed a Chief Executive Officer, Company Secretary, and Finance Officer were appointed. Today, with the objective to foster sustainable and resilient community-led development as a regional hub for tourism and transit, it has made notable achievements and progress.
However, to really foster the objectives of the Smart City and to add to all the positive initiatives thus far, there is need to professionalize the structure of Kohima Smart City Corporation Limited so that the emerging ‘forms’ does not deviate away from the ‘objective content’, so also ensure that the Smart City Project moves smoothly.
On the path towards professionalizing, the objectives and vision of Kohima Smart city is such that the very scope and the nature of work requires the coming together of professionals from various fields of expertise and departments under the Government. And this structure should be long term which is necessary to keep the project moving. Or else if members, either through periodical transfers or political transfers are transferred every now and then, it will largely have a bearing on the ‘form’ and ‘content’ of the project. There should be at least a desirable time frame to ensure that the structural/core team of the company remains the same.
Thus, for better and effective functioning of the project, it needs all relevant experts and professionals and also from the various departments in the team. The team should be given a significant time frame so that the projects are implemented without having to worry about being transferred. Of late transfers for whatever reasons, seems to have become a fashion statement.
Further, this Smart City project also calls upon the need to be very sensitive towards gender not simply for the sake of it but to really ensure holistic growth and development. Not only this, the team should be a mix of both young and old to bring in a rich blend of experience, skills and creativity so that this Smart City Project should be able to act as the springboard towards making the project really smart or else it will deviate away like the Hornbill Festival which even after 20 editions still lacks in ‘form’ and ‘content.’
(Dr Asangba Tzudir contributes a weekly guest editorial to The Morung Express. Comments can be emailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
