Implementation of smart city projects yet to pick up pace

OF THE 731 SMART CITY PROJECTS APPROVED, IMPLEMENTATION HAS STARTED IN 49. AND 24 PROJECTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AS OF JANUARY 2017.

Almost two years after the NDA government’s flagship mission to develop 100 smart cities was launched, progress in the 60 cities selected so far is yet to pick up pace.

Of the 731 smart city projects worth Rs 46,366 crore approved so far, implementation has started in 49 (6.7%). And 24 projects (3.3%) have been completed as of January 2017.

According to figures on the Union urban development ministry’s website, 49.5% projects are yet to be initiated. Of the 60 cities selected so far, projects have started on the ground in the first batch of 20 chosen by the ministry last January. Work is yet to take off in 40 cities that were selected last September.

India plans to have 100 such cities by 2022. While 60 have been chosen so far, the ministry plans to select the remaining 40 by June. Meant to change the way urban India lives, smart cities will enjoy uninterrupted power and water supplies, efficient public transport, internet connectivity, and e-governance along with quality infrastructure.

BJP-ruled states – Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra – are ahead in the race. Indore, Bhopal and Jabalpur have started implementing 20 of the 159 projects that were approved for these three cities and completed 12. Surat and Ahmedabad have started work on eight of the 49 projects and completed two while Udaipur and Jaipur have completed three of the 91 projects that were selected.

Among non-BJP states, the AAP-ruled New Delhi is ahead. The New Delhi Municipal Council, which was chosen to be developed as a model smart city, has started implementation in six of 40 projects. It has completed four projects so far.

Asked the reason for the slow implementation, Sameer Sharma, additional secretary incharge of the smart cities programme in the ministry, told HT, “It’s the tendering (to award projects) that takes time. We are following a complex tendering process unlike normal tendering where the lowest bidder is awarded projects. A lowest bidder might not have the requisite expertise to carry out a smart city project.” RANK

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