The government should not allow the expertise acquired by the Puducherry Smart City Development Limited to dissipate due to winding up of the Smart City Mission in Puducherry, former Member of Parliament and president of the Puducherry Maanila Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam M. Ramadass has said Mr Ramadass in a statement said that the conclusion of the Smart City Mission should not result in the loss of the valuable institutional capacity that has been built through the setting up of PSCDL. The development authority has executed around ₹ 586 crore project after the launch of the Smart City Mission in Puducherry, he said. “While executing large and complex projects, it has developed considerable expertise in project planning, preparation of detailed project reports, tendering, contract management, financial management, monitoring, evaluation, and coordination among multiple government agencies. The reality is that no such institution has so far been created in Puducherry. It would be unfortunate if the expertise accumulated through PSCDL is allowed to dissipate, he said. With a proper appreciation of the expertise available within this agency, the Government should consider establishing a permanent Project Development and Management Agency or a specialised Project Management Unit under the appropriate department.Recognising the importance of such agencies, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, government of India, has advised that Smart City agencies should be repurposed for other developmental functions. The governments of Odisha and Madhya Pradesh have already transformed their Smart City agencies into consultancies.Such an organisation can provide professional support to various departments in project formulation, mobilising funds from the Central Government and international funding agencies, monitoring project implementation, and evaluating outcomes, the statement added. Published - June 08, 2026 07:12 pm IST