Multipurpose smart card for city denizens by next year

Bhubaneswar: The state government has fast-tracked the smart card-based common payment system for smart city of Bhubaneswar and it is likely to be commissioned by January 1, 2018.
At the meeting of the Empowered Committee on Infrastructure (ECI) chaired Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi, it was decided to introduce a smart card which will not only help citizens of Bhubaneswar to book bus and train tickets but also pay for municipality services and utility fees and shop at retail outlets.
According to official sources, around 325 POS machines will be set up in different parts of the city from where people can avail the facilities. Off line transactions can also be made through the card. The committee also approved the bidding process and selected the ICICI bank as the private partner for carrying forward the project.
Various department and utility service providing agencies were advised to make use of the smart card based payment system for receiving the cost of their services and fees, the sources added.
The progress of other projects like establishment of the Institute for Training of the Trainers ( IToT) , affordable housing project near Nakhara and slum rehabilitation and redevelopment housing project near Sainik school were also reviewed in the meeting.
Development Commissioner R Balakrishnan, Principal Secretary of Tourism department Mona Sharma, Principal Secretary of Industries department Sanjiv Chopra, Works department Secretary Nalinikanta Pradhan and BDA vice-chairman Krishan Kumar were present.