Belagavi’s long-pending Smart City projects may miss yet another deadline, with June 30 now appearing increasingly difficult to achieve due to financial and administrative hurdles.
The latest deadline set for completing the remaining works under the Smart City programme is June 30, 2026. However, work at several key project sites has come to a standstill after contractors reportedly halted operations over pending payments of nearly ₹4 crore.
Among the major unfinished works are the Aviation Gallery, Rural Life Theme Zone, and other tourism-related facilities being developed as part of the Vaccine Depot Redevelopment Project. These projects were originally scheduled for completion by March 31, 2026, but remained unfinished even after the deadline expired.
Belagavi was selected under the Smart Cities Mission in 2016, following which several infrastructure and urban development projects were launched across the city. While many projects have been completed, some major works have repeatedly missed deadlines, resulting in multiple extensions over the years.
Sources said the latest delay stems from pending contractor bills that could not be processed due to procedural issues within the state finance department. Although an extension for the Smart City works was secured until June 30, the required technical and administrative approvals were reportedly not updated in time within the finance department’s system.
As the Smart Cities Mission officially concluded on March 31, 2025, and subsequent project deadlines lapsed on March 31, 2026, the finance department is understood to have withheld payment approvals, citing the expiry of the scheme and related procedural constraints.
With nearly ₹4 crore in dues pending, contractors first slowed the pace of work and have now stopped operations altogether. This has left several components of the Vaccine Depot redevelopment project incomplete, raising concerns about whether the June 30 deadline can realistically be met.
MLA Abhay Patil has reportedly been pursuing the matter with the government and played a key role in securing the latest extension. Meanwhile, the Smart City administration is working to resolve the technical and financial issues and obtain clearance for the pending bills.
Officials familiar with the matter said efforts are underway to complete the finance department’s approval process within the next week. Once the bills are cleared and funds released, contractors are expected to resume work immediately.
However, with less than a month remaining and work currently suspended, questions are being raised over whether the projects can be completed by June 30 or if another extension will become inevitable.