Smart City Mission mentor orders AMC to deposit Rs 100 cr by March-end

Aurangabad, July 16:

The new mentor of Smart City Mission and state's additional chief secretary (industries) Baldev Singh today has ordered the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to deposit at least Rs 100 crore, out of its total share in the Smart city projects, before March end. Singh also made it clear that the release of further funds under the mission would be depending upon the AMC's share only.

He observed that the Central Government, under the Smart City Mission, had released a fund of Rs 450 crore. The development projects valuing Rs 1,000 crore are approved under the Mission. Hence, the AMC has to invest a 25 percent financial share (Rs 250 crore), but the civic body has not deposited a single pie in the last six years. Hence he reprimanded the AMC, in his maiden meeting, organised after his appointment as the mentor. The meeting was held in a local five-star hotel. ASCDCL chief executive officer A K Pandey, district collector Sunil Chavan, independent director Bhaskar Munde and other board of directors (BoDs) and officers were present in the meeting.

According to AMC sources, " The new mentor has expressed his displeasure on the functioning of AMC. It may be noted that out of total of Rs 1,000 crore, the Central Government will be investing Rs 500 crore and Rs 250 crore each has to be contributed by the state government and the AMC. Baldev Singh mentioned that if AMC would have contributed its 25 pc share in time, then many proposed development works would have been on the completion stage.

Many projects like Wildlife Safari Park, E-Governance, GIS mapping, bicycle track, Command and Control Centre (CCC), conservation of heritage gates, construction of Smart City Building, etc. are being done through the Smart City fund. The financial provision was made, but there was no approval of BoDs to them. Hence the meeting under the presence of mentor approved all these works."

The BoD also gave a nod to fixing of Water Meters on commercial water connections; MoU to be signed between ASCDCL and AURIC etc. AMC has contributed Rs 68 crore as its share in the Smart City Project as well.

Singh is halting in the city tonight. Tomorrow, he will be inspecting CCC developed under Master System Integrator (MSI) and other works being done through Smart City funds.