A majority of respondents want Rockfort and Thillainagar area for the project The Thillai Nagar-Rockfort area is likely to be taken up for retrofitting under the Smart City Plan for Tiruchi. Area-based retrofitting (development of an existing area of 500 acres) will be one major component of the Smart City initiative, apart from pan-city development. The area has been favoured by a majority of respondents in the online public consultation exercise. While the Thillai Nagar-Rockfort area was favoured by 55 per cent of the online respondents, about 25 per cent favoured the NSB Road/Puthur area and 15 per cent of respondents considered Woraiyur-Amma Mandapam area to be ideal. Forty-five per cent of people who gave their suggestions off line favoured the Gandhi Market area for development and 30 per cent were in favour of Thillai Nagar-Rockfort, according to Simon Selvaraj, associate director-strategic consulting, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). Speaking at a stakeholders meeting to discuss the draft Smart City proposal drawn up based on the public consultation process here on Wednesday, Mr. Selvaraj said that an area covering the Rockfort, N.S.B. Road, Thillai Nagar, Gandhi Market, Thennur, Puthur, Woraiyur, and Amma Mandapam is being considered for the retrofitting plan under which various smart solutions would be implemented in terms of transportation, tourism promotion, heritage protection, water supply, sanitation, and other civic aspects. He said the draft plan envisages smart tourism initiatives around the Rockfort and Amma Mandapam areas, redevelopment of Gandhi Market as a well organised retail market, establishment of multi-level parking, creation of pavements, smart feeder transportation services, uninterrupted water supply, underground cabling for electricity, improved solid waste, and wastewater management and promotion of solar rooftops. Under the pan-city development initiative, the establishment of an integrated bus stand with a skywalk to connect the Railway Junction and the Central Bus Stand had been suggested. Introduction of a bus rapid transit system (BRTS) on a 24-km Srirangam-Chathram Bus Stand-Central Bus Stand-K.K. Nagar-Airport route has been proposed. A bicycle sharing system had been mooted. An investment of Rs. 1,149 crore had been proposed for the development projects under the area based retrofitting plan and projects estimated at Rs. 617 crore had been planned for pan-city development. Mr. Selvaraj pointed out the allocation under the plan was Rs. 1,000 crore and preparation of the detailed project report and selection of specific projects would be done later. The draft plan would be submitted by the Centre by December 15 and Tiruchi would vie for selection of the first 20 cities for implementation of the Smart City Plan. M. Sekaran, president, Federation of Consumer and Service Organisations, urged the consultant to focus more on pan city development. A representative of Namma Tiruchi suggested that Central Bus Stand area should be taken for retrofitting rather than the well developed Thillai Nagar area. A member of Thaneer, a voluntary organisation, suggested use of recycled wastewater in parks rather than letting out in rivers. Swaminathan, Dean, Planning and Development, National Institute of Technology, called for prioritisation of the challenges for implementing appropriate solutions. R. Manoharan, chief whip, M. Paranjothi, and S. Valarmathi, MLAs, A. Jaya, Mayor, and M. Vijayalakshmi, Corporation Commissioner, were present.