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| Announced in 2015, project continues to take off | | Jammu's smart city dream remains distant | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 17: One wonders over the way in which the government in Jammu and Kashmir has been functioning. The latest example is of the Smart city in Jammu, the announcement of which was made in 2015.
As more than three years have passed since the central government announced that the Jammu city of the state is being made a smart area, the state government here is still busy in getting suggestions from the people over designing the draft plan.
As per highly placed sources within the dispensation, the government is still in the stage of getting suggestions for finalising the draft of the smart city in Jammu.
The dream of a smart Jammu is highly unlikely to get realised in near future. "People have to wait to see Jammu being made a smart city. The proposal is in an initial phase and there is still only a paper work going. It is going to take time," divulged an official.
Pertinently, the State Government vide Order No.1081-GAD dated August 21, 2017 constituted Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) as Companies Limited by shares named as Jammu Smart City Limited and Srinagar Smart City Limited under the Companies Act, 2013 with authorized share capital of Rs 10 lakh, equity share of Rs 10 each and paid up capital of Rs 10 lakh for both the companies for implementation of smart city development projects.
As per the reports, however, the government through the executing agency is yet to start the works which would be taken up under the Phase-I. "The government is yet to identify the Phase- I of the project, leave alone initiating the work on it.
It is also being informed that the government is making least efforts to begin the work in Jammu and Srinagar for the creation of the smart cities. The core infrastructure elements in a smart city include adequate water supply, assured electricity supply, sanitation including solid waste management, efficient urban mobility and public transport, affordable housing, robust IT connectivity and digitalization, good governance especially e-governance and citizen participation and sustainable environment.
For Jammu, project will focus on its heritage, tourism, core city area development, sustainable public spaces, urban mobility and its infrastructure, sewage, sanitation, drainage, and solid waste management.
The Smart Cities Mission was launched by the Prime Minister Smart City Mission-aimed at improving basic urban infrastructure in cities-was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2015.
The central government has sanctioned an estimated amount of 500 Crore rupees out of Prime Minister's special package for the creation of smart cities in the twin capitals of the state. As far as the city of Jammu is concerned, hardly more than a crore rupees out of the sanctioned Rs 500 Crores have been spent on the project so far. The officials, meanwhile, are tight lipped over the reason why such a dilatory approach is being adopted. |
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