Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (ANK/SS)

Mangaluru, Jul 20: The centre's ambitious Smart City project is progressing tardily in the city.

Evidently, the bus stand in the city stands testimony to the progress that has been made under the project.

The concretisation of the city bus stand has taken four months but is yet incomplete. One of the bus staff in the bus stand said, “The concrete work city bus stand took 4 months. But the rooftop work has been stopped since the last three days. The overhead roof has been erected at only two bus bays in the city. Due to the heavy downpour that Mangaluru had received recently, passengers had a tough time waiting for buses as there is no proper protection for them from the rain.”

Further, the bus stand has no provision for passengers to sit or stand. The rooftop is of no use as the rainwater get splashed inside the bus very easily.

The concerned authorities should have finished bus stand works before the monsoon for public convenience.

Citizens have urged the concerned authorities to finish the bus stand works and set up the rooftop immediately and make it convenient to the public.

'Smart City project to be completed by June 2023'

Meanwhile, Urban Development minister Byrathi Basavaraj on Monday July 19 said that the 295 remaining works in the state under the centre's ambitious Smart City project will be completed before June 2023 itself. Seven cities of Karnataka have been chosen under the Smart City project. Belagavi, Davangere, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mangaluru, Shivamogga, Tumakuru and Bengaluru are the seven chosen cities under the project.

The minister has held more than 35 high-level meetings with the officials with regard to the speedy implementation of the project from 2020 and is reviewing the progress made in these cities.

Giving details of the progress of development works under the Smart City project, the minister said 22 meetings have been held in these cities while laying special emphasis on implementation of the project. Besides, he said meetings have been held between the chief secretary, additional chief secretary and the respective deputy commissioners with the urban development department officials.

Basavaraj said out of 889 development works in the seven cities, 590 have been completed over the last seven years and the remaining 295 works are in progress.

The minister said tenders have been invited for four developmental works.

Basavaraj said in terms of financial progress, Karnataka ranks third in the country. He said the state had achieved 85% of progress in financial spending. He said up to June 2022, a total sum of Rs 13,688 crore had been spent on completion of 889 works under the Smart City project.