Dharamsala Smart City project ends, MC seeks three more months to finish works

The Smart City Dharamsala project had officially ended on March 31. The Smart City Dharamsala authorities have sought three more months till June to complete ongoing works under the project granted by the Union Government.

The closure of the Smart City Dharamsala project by the Union Government has put a question mark on the existence of the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), a company formed to execute the project. The SPV has many employees who were recruited to execute the Smart City Project in Dharamsala. Sources say that the Dharamsala Municipal Corporation has written to the state government to clarify regarding the future of SPV.

The Dharamsala Municipal Corporation has written to the state government to continue the SPV so that it can take care of the maintenance of the works started under the Smart City project.

The sources say that now it is for the state government to decide whether to continue the SPV or merge it with the Municipal Corporation and hand over the works to it.

Municipal Commissioner, Dharamsala, Zafar Iqbal says that the Smart City project has officially ended. He adds that the state government will decide the fate of the SPV of the project.

The project was proposed for Rs 2,109 crore when it was sanctioned for Dharamsala city in August 2015. However, now the budget has been limited to just Rs 631 crore. The remaining Rs 1,478 crore works under the project that were planned for Dharamsala under the Smart City project have been shelved. The works that have been shelved were planned on the Build Operate and Transfer basis but the authorities concerned have failed to find investors.

The sources say that of Rs 631 crore spent on the Smart City project, the state government has given Rs 50 crore while the Central Government has contributed the remaining Rs 581 crore. Works worth Rs 550 crore have already been completed and the remaining works are under construction.

Dharamsala was selected in the first lot of the cities to developed as smart cities after Prime Minster Narendra Modi launched the scheme on June 25, 2015.

Some of the projects that have already been executed in Dharamsala under the Smart City project include GIS Web Portal, Website, e-Nagar Palika, underground dustbins, inclusive streets, smart classrooms, solar power plant, root zone treatment, all-ability park, Deputy Commissioner’s complex parking, Bhagsunag project area development and LED lights in streets. Smart classrooms for Government Senior Secondary School for Girls, Dharamsala, and other government schools in the area have been constructed at a cost Rs 3.55 crore. As many as 65 classrooms have been developed in 10 government schools in Dharamsala.

Smart roads in the city have been constructed at a cost of Rs 84.04 crore. As many as 28 roads of 32.63 km length have been developed as smart roads. However, smart roads developed in the city are facing charges of poor quality. Many smart roads have been damaged due to rain and the quality of footpaths constructed along them are of poor quality and little utility.

Himachal Tribune