Central team to inspect the work of Belagavi smart city

A central team is scheduled to inspect the progress of the Belagavi smart city project. The specific date for the team’s visit has not yet been determined.

The team will be visiting various cities in the state where the Smart City scheme has been implemented. Once the inspection is complete, a report will be submitted to the Central Urban Development Department. Minister of Public Works Department and District Guardian Minister, Satish Jarkiholi, has also addressed this matter.

Numerous complaints have been lodged with the government regarding the quality of work in the Smart City scheme. It is expected that these concerns will be documented in the post-inspection report by the central team.

Preparations are currently underway by the Smart City Department for the upcoming visit. However, officials believe that it will not be possible to complete all pending works before the team’s arrival.

The Smart City Scheme was launched in Belagavi on June 25, 2016. Approximately 850 crores of funds have been allocated to this project thus far. The original plan aimed to complete all works within five years, by June 2021. However, this deadline was not met. The central government then extended the deadline to June 2023. Unfortunately, many cities, including Belagavi, have been unable to meet this new target.

Therefore, a final deadline of June 2024 has been set to complete the ongoing projects. However, it appears highly unlikely that the Belagavi Smart City Department will be able to meet this deadline. Several crucial projects, including the construction of a multi-purpose commercial complex at the Kalamandir site, the development of the city bus stand, the establishment of a commercial center at Tilakwadi, and the various works at vaccine depot, are still pending.

Unfortunately, progress at the vaccine depot has come to a halt. On June 6, 2023, due to concerns raised by environmentalists, Satish Jarkiholi, ordered an immediate cessation of work at the site. Consequently, all activities were brought to a standstill. Astonishingly, even after a span of four months, the government has not granted permission to resume work at the depot.