Urban development minister UT Khader denied allegations of the opposition that the state government was purposely delaying Smart City works. According to him the state was at the fifth place in the country in implementing the project.
He further exclaimed that said the government was taking steps to increase the work speed and enter the top three within the upcoming six months.
The minister said the Smart City Project was delayed due to tough rules and procedures of the Union government. “Initially, objection by MLAs and MPs for excluding them from the Smart City committee also caused delays. Under this project, both the state and centre contribute Rs 100 crore for the development of cities,” he said.
According to him, it is a myth that cities will get smart just by the Rs 500 crore contribution of the Centre in five years. In cities like Bengaluru, works of over Rs 3,000 crore are ongoing on behalf of the state government and situation is similar in most cities.
Khader said the project of providing 24X7 water to entire Belagavi at a cost of Rs 420 crore will start in the next three months by floating a tender notification.
He said the district has a good source of water and only needs to strengthen the supply chain.
Stating that the government has taken several measures to increase the income of urban local bodies including computerization of property records, which Khader said had brought more than 9,000 properties under the tax net just in Belagavi City Corporation limits.
Khader warned builders of taking strict action against the illegal constructions. He also instructed officials not to pay the contractor until proper work is done.
During a review meet of Smart City works, Khader suggested officials to install vigilance cameras and speakers on the roadsides in the city to make Belagavi a smart and safe city. He said people will be able to see Smart City works on four LED TVs to be installed at different parts of the city at a cost of Rs 70 lakh.
News source= https://realty.economictimes.
