Two years on, no smart city project complete

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 19

Over two years have passed since Central government’s announcement of developing Ludhiana as a smart city, but majority of projects under the mission are still hanging fire. Besides, important projects like construction of public and community toilets under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan are also getting delayed.

It is learnt that many projects have been delayed as either the detailed project reports (DPRs) are not ready or due to the participation of single firms in the tendering process.

To review the projects under the Smart City Mission, Member of Parliament (MP) Ravneet Singh Bittu held a meeting with officials of the Municipal Corporation (MC) at the Zone D office here on Thursday. Representatives of Ludhiana Smart City Limited also attended the meeting.

The projects under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) were also evaluated during the meeting. The MP directed officials concerned to speed up the work to make Ludhiana ‘smart’.

According to information, majority of projects have yet to see the light of day. Officials informed the MP, Congress MLAs and Deputy Commissioner, who were present in the meeting, that installation of LED streetlights (Rs 44.38 crore) in the city would start from April 23. The work for the installation of way findings and signages (cost Rs 6.13 crore) would begin from April 30, they added. Besides, officials claimed that the project of rooftop solar panels (cost Rs 2.55crore) on existing buildings would be completed by April 30.

According to information, combined tenders for retrofitting of the Sarabha Nagar Market Project (cost Rs 14.89 crore) and Development of Malhar stretch as smart road (cost Rs 22.75 crore) have been floated. Earlier, the bidding process of then Sarabha Nagar Market Project had remained unsuccessful.

Officials claimed that tenders have also been floated for 24x7 water supply scheme (cost of Rs 46.50 crore), augmentation of the existing sewerage (cost Rs 39.30 crore) and storm water drainage system for the ABD area (Rs 22.59 crore).

The foundation stone for railway over bridge and railway under bridge at Pakhowal Road (estimated cost of Rs 74.10 crore) was laid last year, but the project was being delayed.

Officials said the detailed project report was under appraisal at the office of advisor technical. The tenders of the project would be floated only after getting approval from Railways, they added.

Besides, tenders for project of carcass utilisation plant (cost Rs 9.50 crore) would be floated after approval of the DPR. The revised DPR for retrofit and development of Ghumar Mandi Market (cost Rs 25 crore) was submitted on April 12. The DPR for underground parking at the National Highway No. 95 (cost Rs 52 crore) would be submitted on April 20.

The detailed project reports for the Smart Road, Phase II, also known as Rotary Club Road (cost of Rs 35 crore), construction of dedicate cycle tracks in selected industrial area (cost Rs 20 crore), junction improvement and smart foot overbridges (cost Rs 21 crore) are yet be submitted before the authorities concerned.

The DPR for construction and demolition (C&D) waste management project (cost Rs 6.90 crore) is to be revised. Officials claimed that the DPR of Integrated Command Control Centre (Rs 32.50 crore) and Digital Library (Rs 5 crore) would be submitted by May 15.

Though multiple studies have been done on Buddha Nullah in the past but the DPR of the master plan for re-juvenation of Buddha Nullah is under preparation. Moreover, site feasibility survey is underway for deployment of smart bins (cost Rs 5 crore) at different locations in the city.

Single tenders delay Smart City project

In some cases, only single bids were received due to which projects have been delayed as the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) raised objection on it. Congress legislators said that they would take up the matter with the Local Bodies Minister.

The MP, Ravneet Singh Bittu, directed officials to complete all the formalities and pending works so that projects to develop Ludhiana as smart city could be started soon.

“It is a proud moment as Ludhiana has been selected in the first list of the smart cities announced by the Union Government, but due to unavoidable reasons the project has not gathered the required momentum it needs,” said Bittu in the meeting.

He told officials and representatives of Ludhiana Smart City Limited to pull up their socks to make industrial town one of the best smart cities in the country.

“Projects including revamping of Buddha Nallah, installation of smart dustbins, Ghumar Market Parking Project, ROB on the Pakhowal road, modernisation of slaughter house, retrofitting of Sarabha Nagar Market, the Malhar Smart road, cycle track in the Focal Point area, improvement of junctions, solid waste management project, LED streetlights project and others should be finished on a priority basis,” the MP added.

He warned that laxity on part of officials would not be tolerated. From now onwards, the review meeting would be held every month, he added.

MLAs Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Sanjay Talwar and Kuldeep Singh Vaid, Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu, Deputy Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Agrawal and MC Commissioner Jaskiran Singh were among civic body officials, who were present in the meeting.

Progress of projects under the Smart City Mission

• Installation of LED streetlights (Rs 44.38 crore) will start from April 23. 
• Way findings and signages (cost Rs 6.13 crore) installation to begin from April 30.  
• Rooftop solar panels project (cost Rs 2.55crore) on existing buildings will be completed by April 30.
• Tenders for retrofitting of the Sarabha Nagar Market Project (cost Rs 14.89 crore) and Development of Malhar stretch (cost Rs 22.75 crore) have been floated.
• Tenders floated for 24x7 water supply scheme (cost of Rs 46.50 crore), augmentation of the existing sewerage (cost Rs 39.30 crore) and storm water drainage system for the ABD area ( Rs 22.59 crore).
• The foundation stone for railway over bridge and railway under bridge at Pakhowal Road (cost Rs 74.10 crore) laid last year, but the project is being delayed. 
• Tenders for carcass utilisation plant (cost Rs 9.50 crore) to be floated after approval of the DPR. 
• The revised DPR for retrofit and development of Ghumar Mandi Market (cost Rs 25 crore) submitted on April 12. 
• The DPR for underground parking at the National Highway No. 95 (cost Rs 52 crore) to be submitted on April 20.
• The DPRs for the Smart Road, Phase II, (cost of Rs 35 crore), construction of cycle tracks (cost Rs 20 crore), junction improvement and smart foot overbridges (cost Rs 21 crore) yet be submitted.
• The DPR for construction and demolition (C&D) waste management project (cost Rs 6.90 crore) is to be revised. 
• The DPR of Integrated Command Control Centre ( Rs 32.50 crore) and Digital Library (Rs Rs crore) will be submitted by May 15.  
• The detailed project report(DPR) of the master plan for rejuvenation of Buddha Nullah is under preparation.