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Smart city project to miss first deadline

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Urban development ministry is set to miss the first deadline for the launch of smart city projects.The ministry had set up the deadline to prepare the concept paper, get financial approval and table it in the cabinet by November 15.

However, with stakeholders still pouring in, an official trip to Singapore due in the first week of November and a workshop scheduled early next month, the Ministry is still far from finalizing the smart city guideline. Going by the current pace, the ministry will not be able to use even 25 percent of the allotted budget of 7000 crore rupees in this financial year for the smart cities.

Sources told dna that the Minister for Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu in a meeting with the senior officers of the ministry on October 8, had directed, that the approval from Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) of the ministry of finance on smart cities and the cabinet note for the same, must be prepared by November 15.

Naidu had also expressed to his officers that he wanted the plan to be streamlined before the winter session of the Parliament which is expected to begin on November 24. "The minister said that, "I don't want to answer questions it in the Parliament saying that the smart city plan in its advanced stage of consideration,"" said an officer who was present in the meet.

However, to adhere to the ministers instruction, the ministry by now should have sent the note for EFC clearance to Finance Minister. "The finance ministry will take atleast three weeks to give it clearance. Then a cabinet note is to be prepared. It again takes atleast two weeks to get cabinet clearance," explained an officer.

However, in the case of smart cities, the Ministry has called upon a National Workshop on Smart Cities on November 5. A group of officers are also scheduled to visit Singapore on a weeklong trip starting November 2. It has been over three months that the ministry has been meeting various stakeholders, but is yet to come up with a concrete plan.

"We are certainly missing deadlines. Under no circumstance can we be prepared with the final concept note and the guidelines for the Cabinet meeting," added the officer.

A delay in rolling the project is also a matter of financial concern for the ministry. The funds allotted for the smart city project is also expected to lapse with the end of financial year. "As per our estimate, the 100 smart city project will cost Rs 275 thousand Crores in ten years. If we ask for 7000 crores in December, we are definitely not going to get the full money. The project is already delayed," added the officer.

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