Karnal smart city project moving at snail’s pace

KARNAL:The smart city plan seems to be a distant dream for Karnal as nearly two years after being selected for the project, the municipal corporation has been unable to spend even 50% of its first grant of ₹200 crore.

Karnal, the constituency of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, was included in the smart cities list by the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs on June 23, 2017, but the work on the project could not be started due to delay in the appointment of a consultant for the project.

The consultant was appointed in October 20, a year and a half after the city was selected for the smart city project. But even as five months have passed since the consultant was appointed, the tendering process is yet to start.

Rajiv Mehta, CEO, Karnal Smart City Limited and Karnal municipal corporation commissioner, said, “The appointment of the project consultant was mandatory before starting work.”

When asked whether the project was delayed due to nonavailability of funds from the union government, he said, “The delay was not on part of the Union government. The delay in appointment of consultant was the main reason behind the project’s delay. But now we have got ₹103 crore for the project and the tendering process for some projects of the first phase is already underway.”

Several facilities such as education, health, infrastructure, technology, employment, safety, waste management security, surveillance, transportation, upgrade of Mughal Canal and Western Yamuna Canal would be carried out under the smart city project.