Guwahati: Guwahati was one of the twenty cities to be selected in the first round of Smart Cities Challenge. The city was listed in the 17th position in Central Government’s first list of Smartcity scheme. Work had started in full swing initially and Guwahatians saw a few bio-toilets and some water ATMs and the national flag atop Sarania Hills.
But with the passing of time it seems that the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and Guwahati Smart City Limited (GSCL) have failed in implementing the schemes in city.
In the past three years GMDA has failed in utilising allocated funds properly.
The state of allocated funds for Smartcity not being utilised by the GMDA and GSCL has been revealed in the ongoing Assam Assembly session. The poor implementation of the Smartcity project by the GMDA was revealed by GDD Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya. Replying to questions about Smartcity in the Assam Assembly the GDD Minister stated the current status of the project.
The Central Government sanctioned ₹ 196 crore to Guwahati Smartcity Limited for the implementation of the schemes under the Smartcity project. Till date, ₹191 crore have been released to Guwahati Smartcity Limited, stated the GDD Minister.
A total of 11 schemes were supposed to be completed under the Guwahati Smartcity project.
- Gandhi Mandap Park
- Guwahati Prime Hill Site Redevelopment
- National Flag atop Sarania Hills
- 30 Smart Bio-Toilets
- 20 water ATMs, ATW (Any Time Water)
- Electricity in every home under Project Jyoti scheme
- Street lighting of Guwahati’s streets and roads
- Brahmaputra Riverfront Development
- Development of Borsola Beel (Lake)
- Master System Integrator Scheme
- Integrated Command and Control Center
In the past three years, works of only 4 schemes have been started by the Guwahati Smartcity Limited.
Siddhartha Bhattacharya stated in the first phase only partial work has been completed in the schemes.
- ₹2.93 crore was spent on Guwahati Prime Hill Site Redevelopment in Sarania Hills
- ₹2.92 crore used in the construction of the Flag atop Sarania Hills
- ₹9.53 crore spent in the construction of bio toilets, where out of 30 only 21 bio toilets were constructed
- ₹2.09 crore spent for water ATMs
- ₹13.21 crore for the Project Jyoti scheme
The GDD Minister stated that in the second phase of the Project Jyoti, 57 thousand people will be benefitted.
