Guwahati: The government of Assam is planning to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Singapore firm to give a major facelift to Guwahati, the capital of the state that is also considered the financial nerve centre of the Northeast Indian region, reports said.
The envisioned MoU will reportedly be signed between the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and the Singapore Corporation Enterprise (SCE), an agency of the Singapore government.
As per the terms, said reports, the GMDA will leverage Singapore’s proven track record in transforming urban landscapes to advance urban infrastructure in the region’s largest city. The best practices and innovative solutions from Singapore will be incorporated to enhance facilities in the Assam capital.
Last year, a ‘letter of intent’ was signed between the state-run Assam Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) and South-East Asian firm Surbana Jurong in Guwahati. Speaking at the event, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the signing of the “letter of intent” would add a new strength to the “organic relationship” between Assam and Singapore.
In 2017, under the previous government, Assam signed an MoU and Terms of Reference (ToR) with Singapore for upskilling the youth of the state.
The MoU and ToR for the North East Skills Centre (NESC) were signed between the Skill, Employment, and Entrepreneurship Department of the state government and the ITE Education Service in Singapore.
These reports have surfaced at a time when the state government is undertaking significant efforts to upgrade infrastructure in Guwahati as well as some of the other key towns in the state.
Last month, the Assam government announced plans to implement the 'Ten Cities Development Concept' that aims to bring about comprehensive improvements in ten selected cities, focusing on various aspects such as manpower rationalization, capacity building, and the delivery of municipal services through digital platforms.
Under this project, special attention will be given to the digitization of municipal services, strengthening financial infrastructure, and optimizing manpower in the selected cities.
Apart from Singapore, Assam is also planning collaborations with another Asian country – Bhutan. Last month, Bhutan’s king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck announced a massive “international city” in an area of over 1,000 sq. km. on its border with Assam as part of a project “connecting South Asia with Southeast Asia via India’s northeastern States”. Last year, he made a stopover in Guwahati during his state visit to India to hold discussions with the Assam CM in this regard.
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