Kerala’s Kochi Corporation to audit Smart City assets as CSML winds up
The Kochi Corporation is initiating an audit of assets developed under the Smart City project as the implementing agency, Cochin Smart Mission Limited, prepares to close. Local officials are debating the project's efficacy and questioning the transparency of procurement and planning decisions.
Why it matters
It highlights the challenges of urban governance and accountability when special purpose vehicles are used to manage large-scale infrastructure projects.
The Kochi Corporation in Kerala is set to undertake a detailed stock-taking of assets procured under the Smart City project, as the special purpose vehicle (SPV), Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML), created for its implementation, prepares to wind up operations on completing its mandate.
Mayor V.K. Minimol has directed the superintendent engineer to submit a comprehensive report on the efficiency and utility of assets and projects created under the project, now being handed over to the Corporation, which will be largely responsible for their future operation and maintenance. The council is expected to hold an in-depth discussion on the matter once the report is tabled, with councillors, particularly from the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF), sharply critical of CSML’s functioning and procurement practices.
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