Ex NY mayor Bloomberg to take auto, Metro today

NEW DELHI: United Nations special envoy (cities and climate change) Michael Bloomberg, who is in Delhi to help the Modi government help develop smart cities, will take a round of the Capital’s energy-efficient public transport on Monday.

On Monday morning, Bloomberg, the former New York mayor, would first take a 20 minute ride on a CNG autorickshaw from Taj Palace hotel - where he is staying - to the Ashok Hotel, where he is scheduled to speak at the renewable energy investment meet. He will later take a 30 minute ride on the Delhi Metro.

Bloomberg is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Cabinet ministers during the day to firm up plans of extending support to India in developing smart cities and harnessing renewable energy.

The billionaire’s charitable organisation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, is set to assist the Union urban development ministry in selecting 100 smart cities, a flagship project of the Modi government, by organizing a “city challenge competition.”

As part of the competition, Indian cities would be given scores based on the urban reforms that they have carried out so far, their impact and what they propose to do in future in four key areas, which will include sanitation and good governance. Cities that score the highest against various good governance parameters will be selected for the smart cities project, to be implemented during a 10-year period.

The foundation is expected to sign an agreement with the government in this regard.