The urban development minister of Uttarakhand, Prem Chand Agarwal, expressed his dissatisfaction with the progress of Dehradun's Smart City project during a review meeting held earlier this month. The project, which was expected to be completed by June 2023, has caused inconvenience to the public due to delays and uncoordinated efforts. The minister urged authorities to speed up the work and increase night shifts to complete the projects before the monsoon season, while ensuring good quality. However, several projects, such as the smart roads and green building development, are falling behind schedule.
During a review meeting earlier this month, the Urban Development Minister, Prem Chand Agarwal, expressed his dissatisfaction with the delays in the Smart City project in Dehradun. The project was initially planned to be completed by June 2023, but the ongoing delays have caused inconvenience to the public in the state capital.
The Smart City project in Dehradun was included in the scheme's second phase in 2017 with a budget of over Rs 1,400 crore. However, the project has faced widespread criticism from the public due to the delays, uncoordinated efforts, and inconvenience caused by the ongoing infrastructural work.
The minister urged the authorities to accelerate the pace of the project and increase night shifts to ensure that the work is completed before the monsoon season while maintaining the project's quality. According to a smart road official, the smart roads project alone will take at least six more months to complete, and the finishing touches can only be done after all other departments, such as irrigation or UPIN, complete their work.
Several projects, such as the smart roads project, which has a budget of Rs 191 crore, and the green building development project, which has a budget of Rs 205 crore, are falling behind schedule. The green building project has only acquired the land so far, and the construction work is yet to begin.
According to insiders, the promised improvements in Paltan Bazaar have not been delivered despite the nearly Rs 5 crore investment in facade revamp. The new boards installed outside the shops are illegible, and the planners have not done a good job. The footpaths have tiles, but the roads have not been evened out, and the market has not been decongested. Despite the deadline being in March, some of the work has been ongoing for months.
An unnamed source reported that the irrigation department's integrated drainage system work and the construction of stormwater drains, and multi-utility ducts are likely to miss their deadlines. These projects are located in the city centre, resulting in traffic congestion and causing problems for pedestrians.
In conclusion, the Smart City project in Dehradun has faced significant delays, resulting in criticism from the public and traders. The Urban Development Minister, Prem Chand Agarwal, has urged authorities to increase the pace of the project and complete the work before the monsoon season while maintaining quality. The ongoing delays have caused several projects, such as the smart roads project and the green building development project, to fall behind schedule. Additionally, the ongoing work has caused traffic congestion and pedestrian inconvenience in the city centre.
Advertisement
Facebook
Whatsapp
