The project was approved 15 months ago, but little progress has been made.
An important project of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) under JNNURM, the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) is yet to make headway even though it was approved about 15 months ago.
Very recently, civic authorities gave the go-ahead for building two flyovers at a cost of Rs80 lakh, but in many other components of the project, even tenders have not been floated so far.
To solve the city transport problem, a mass public transit system was planned by SMC and after due representation by municipal commissioner S Aparna, the project was sanctioned under JNNURM scheme in March 2008. Named as BRTS project, a sum of Rs500 crore was sanctioned by the JNNURM officials for it.
Out of it, Rs125 crore was released to SMC for initiating work. It was planned that the civic body would complete at least 10-15% of the total work in 12 months, after which second instalment of Rs125 crore would be released by the Union government.
But after 15 months, the picture is dismal. Till June 2009, civic authorities were able to approve work for only two flyovers of the project, at a cost of Rs80 lakh. The third bridge of the project is at the stage of inviting tenders. No work has been initiated for developing roads, acquiring buses and building other amenities
required for the project.
SMC sources said that delay in execution of the project could prove dear for the civic body, as JNNURM authorities might get strict in releasing further instalments of money for the project. Secondly, they could also harden their stance while considering other JNNURM projects proposed by the SMC, for approval.
“It is really surprising that SMC has failed to utilise a single penny from Rs125 crore released by the Centre for this project. The main problem is that there is no coordination between civic authorities and rulers for the project. Municipal commissioner and her team are serious in executing the project, but civic rulers are least concerned about it,” a top civic official requesting anonymity said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}