T For a city that has a budget of Rs 54 crore, the infusion of Rs 200 crore every year for the next five years could prove hot to handle. This situation has arisen consequent on Panaji making it to the list of smart cities in the second round. For a city as small as Panaji, Rs 200 crore is a huge amount and a lot of it could literally go down the drain if care is not taken to clearly define what the city needs and not mistake cosmetic dressing for the real thing. There is this compelling urge to refashion Panaji in the image of a European city. Herein likes the danger. Instead of painting a preconceived picture, it might be better to focus on a few things that could make life more bearable. Traffic movement and congestion is a case in point. Are the city fathers in the mood to reclaim Panaji for the people? Because this would mean putting people first and cars and two-wheelers second. With literally Rs 1,000 crore to spend over the next five years the tendency to create fancy and grandiose infrastructure will rise to the fore. The challenge is to create systems that can be sustained when the money tap dries up after five years and the city has to manage with Rs 54 crore.
