Instructing senior officials of the State government, Public Works and district in-charge Minister Satish Jarkiholi has emphasized the need to thoroughly assess the progress of all projects undertaken as part of the Smart City Mission.
A comprehensive review of the projects implemented in Belagavi will be conducted by officials from the Urban Development, Finance, and Public Works departments, addressing any allegations of irregularities. To ensure a thorough examination of the initiatives undertaken under the Mission, a committee comprising senior officials will be formed. This committee will assess the technical specifications and financial viability of the projects, as well as ensure adherence to rules and regulations by officials and engineers involved.
The Minister has announced his intention to promptly issue directives for the establishment of a committee comprising members from different departments. Expressing concern over grave allegations, he cited instances of officials purportedly misusing funds, inflating project costs, and executing substandard work. With nearly ₹1,000 crore allocated to Belagavi thus far, only a small portion remains unutilized, raising doubts about the quality of completed projects. These allegations will be thoroughly investigated as part of the committee’s mandate.
These remarks come in the wake of recent meetings conducted in Belagavi. During these meetings, officials alerted Mr. Jarkiholi to the unauthorized activities undertaken by certain Smart City officials at the Vaccine Depot in the Belagavi South constituency, specifically in the urban forest area owned by the Department of Health and Family Welfare. Legal action has already been initiated by the police against several officials involved in these incidents.
In a recent development, both Mr. Jarkiholi and Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar raised concerns regarding specific projects implemented under the Mission earlier this month. They expressed dissatisfaction over the arbitrary selection of project sites, lack of transparency in the tendering process and project selection, sluggish progress, and insufficient public consultations.
In response to the concerns raised by BJP MLA Abhay Patil, he welcomed any inquiry ordered by the State government to address the doubts. Meanwhile, Mr. Jarkiholi has urged officials to expedite the progress of the Belagavi City Bus Stand complex and the Kalamandir Art Complex located in Tilakawadi.
Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of utilizing the Integrated Command and Control Centre, which offers comprehensive facilities to harmonize the efforts of multiple departments including the police, city corporation, health, transport, and the Smart City Mission. This integration aims to streamline and coordinate their respective activities effectively.
A substantial amount of approximately ₹930 crore has been allocated for 102 projects within the city. Out of these, 96 projects have already been completed, while the remaining six are currently in progress. Additionally, six projects have been initiated under the private-public partnership mode, with only one of them successfully completed. The total expenditure for these initiatives is estimated to be around ₹211 crore.
In terms of financial contributions, the Centre’s share in the planned expenditure amounts to ₹441 crore, while the State government is providing ₹439 crore.
