BJP, Cong trade charges over performance

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala was declared as a Smart City under a Union Government scheme declared in 2015. Initially, Dharamsala was the only city selected from Himachal Pradesh under the Smart City scheme. Later, Shimla was also selected under the scheme.

Though more than two years have passed since the prestigious tag of Smart City was attached to Dharamsala city, but practically nothing has happened on the ground. Under the Smart City Dharamsala scheme, Rs 2,200 crore was to be invested under the Municipal Corporation area.

The BJP and the Congress are now trading charges against each other for the delay in the implementation of the Smart City project.

The Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Kishan Kapoor, who represents the Dharamsala Assembly constituency, blames the previous Congress government for the delay in implementing the Dharamsala Smart City project. While talking to the Himachal Tribune, Kapoor alleged the Union Government gave the Smart City project to Dharamsala in 2015. The Union Government also transferred an initial amount of Rs 183 crore to the state government for Dharamsala Smart City Project.

Under the scheme, the state government also had to contribute its share to the project. However, the previous Congress government was never serious in developing Dharamsala as a Smart City. It never contributed its financial share in the scheme. The previous Congress government wanted Shimla to be declared as a Smart City. After the Union Government declared Dharamsala as a Smart City, the previous Congress government deliberately delayed the project to get Shimla included in the Smart City list. Even after Shimla was included in the Smart City list, the Dharamsala project was deliberately neglected, he alleged.

Kapoor also alleged that during the stint of the previous Congress government, no staffs were recruited in the Smart City, Dharamsala office. After coming to power, the present government has started the work of recruiting staff for Dharamsala Smart City Project. 

Extensive planning was done and now the first tenders under the Smart City project have been floated, he said. Sudhir Sharma, former Minister for Town and Country Planning and Congress leader from Dharamsala, has, however, refuted the claims of BJP Minister Kishan Kapoor.

While talking to the Himachal Tribune, Sharma blamed the BJP leaders for the delay in Dharamsala Smart City Project. He alleged that when Dharamsala was first selected under the Smart City scheme in 2015, the BJP leaders organised protests in Shimla. I was specifically targeted by the BJP leaders based in Shimla for preferring Dharamsala over Shimla, he alleged.

Sharma further alleged that the BJP leaders moved the Himachal High Court that ordered that the points on which Dharamsala was selected as a Smart City vis-a-vis Shimla should be re-evaluated. Even in the re-evaluation, Dharamsala tipped Shimla and was selected as a Smart City. However, the Union Government later also included Shimla as a Smart City.

Citing other reasons for the delay in the implementation of Dharamsala Smart City Project, Sharma said the project management consultancy was to be finalised by the Union Ministry for Surface Transport. The Dharamsala Municipal Corporation had to issue tenders three times before the Project Management Consultancy was approved by the Union Government.

So, most of the delay in the Dharamsala Smart City Project was caused due to BJP leaders of Shimla and the Union Government. 

Highlights

• Dharamsala was selected as a Smart City in 2015
• Project was worth Rs 2,200 crore
• Union Government gave Rs 183 crore for the project
• No permanent employee posted in the project
• No of sanctioned posts 26
• Two employees working on deputation in the project