No smartness in handling of Smart City project

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 17

When will Jalandhar get a project under Smart City? At least not before the Lok Sabha elections. In such a situation, the BJP-SAD alliance will not be able to draw any mileage from the city during the elections for this Centre-sponsored scheme.

Tenders for 3 works floated recently

Jalandhar came on the Smart City list of the Centre in September 2016. Over two years down the line, there only had been planning, approvals or rejections of proposals. It is now that funds to the tune of Rs 50 crore have been received in Jalandhar (from the Centre and the state in 50:50 ratio). Tenders for three works have been recently floated.

Vishesh Sarangal, CEO, Smart City Limited, said: “We hope that the tender for Rs 100 crore project with 1,200 CCTVs for city surveillance under the Integrated Command and Control Centre, to be set up in Police Lines, and another one for upgrading 11 intersections at a cost of Rs 1 crore each will be finalised by the month-end. Another one on installing solar panels atop government buildings will be floated in 10 days or so. We can hope that some work may start on the ground before 2018 comes to an end.”

In that kind of a scenario, local political leaders – be it of the SAD-BJP or the Congress – say that voters would certainly not be appeased. In fact, most leaders are unhappy with the priority list that officials have made.

Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh said: “People want to see work on the ground. For them, a control centre does not have any importance. They want well-paved roads, good parks and street lights and we are giving them none of these facilities in the initial phase. I kept insisting that at least a 2-km road in Model Town could be paved with ultra-modern facilities and it would be the best example before people about the potential of the project. But I am told that it could not be included as of now. My other priorities, including developing two parks and constructing a parking lot in Model Town, too have not been taken up. Since no work of my constituency is expected to come out in the Smart City, I am even losing interest in it.”

Even Deputy Mayor Harsimranjit Singh Bunty has said: “I do not think that we will be able to come up with anything before the elections. About Rs 7 crore of the funds that we received have gone for Smart classrooms in government schools where digital blackboards, computer rooms and other facilities would be set up. The funds have been moved to the Education Department for execution at their end, which they would handle at their own pace.”

Congress councillor Des Raj Jassal too is unhappy.

The condition of the city is becoming bad to worse. Living here is becoming hellish. There is nil recovery that the MC staff is making. We have shown big dreams to residents through the Smart City project but executed nothing. I call it a nil report as it has been on papers only so far,” said the councillor from the ruling party.

To conclude, it can be said the project would of course be an issue for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections but more of a blame and a counter-blame from both sides — the SAD-BJP and the Congress.