After facing criticism over delays and poor maintenance in several Smart City projects Jalandhar Mayor Vaneet Dhir has said that the work has not stopped and is moving forward though at a slow pace and claimed that many projects pending for years during previous governments are now being pushed ahead and several works under Smart City Mission may be completed by the end of this year.
The statement comes after concerns were raised over the condition of multiple Smart City projects in Jalandhar where around ₹161.17 crore was spent over past 11 years and despite the large investment many residents continue to complain about broken roads, non-functional streetlights, damaged parks, blocked drains and incomplete public infrastructure.
Speaking on the issue Mayor Vaneet Dhir said that work under Smart City Mission is still ongoing and should not be seen as abandoned although he admitted that progress has been slow but added that efforts are being made to complete remaining projects in phases and according to him some important works have already been completed while others are currently under execution.
The mayor pointed out that Burlton Park redevelopment project was also part of Smart City plan and work on it has moved ahead and he further said that traffic signal digitalisation in the city is also being carried out as part of ongoing smart infrastructure development.
He also blamed previous administrations for delays in execution and according to the mayor several projects remained pending for years during Congress government’s tenure and he said that his administration has only been in office for last 14 months and is now trying to speed up the work that had been stalled earlier.
The mayor expressed hope that major pending Smart City works could be completed by December-end if current pace continues. The Smart City Mission in Jalandhar was launched in 2016 with the aim of improving roads, lighting systems, drainage, parks and civic infrastructure using modern technology however many projects have either remained incomplete or are now in poor condition due to a lack of maintenance.
One of the biggest projects under the mission was ₹50.29 crore Smart Road project covering 120-foot road in Bastis area and stretch from Patel Chowk to Maqsudan however residents say that footpaths in many areas are broken and difficult to use while roads have been dug up repeatedly for pipeline work while stormwater drainage pipes are also reportedly blocked at several places.
Similarly ₹57.97 crore LED streetlight project continues to face criticism as many roads and major junctions in city remain poorly lit and areas including DAV College Bridge, Maqsudan and parts of GT Road reportedly continue to face darkness at night.
Other projects including digital number plates, reverse vending bottle-crushing machines and park development works in Guru Nanakpura and Chougitti have also come under criticism due to poor upkeep or non-functioning infrastructure.
