Warangal Smart City mission a failure

Warangal: It's been more than five years since Warangal found its place in the Smart City Mission, a flagship programme of the Central government envisioned to recast country's urban landscape, however, the denizens are yet to see what a smart city would look like. In fact, Warangal is supposed to become a smart city by December 2021. However, the vision to transform Warangal into an economic hub with a focus on livable , citizen-friendly and well-governed city by using smart technologies under the Smart City Mission continues to elude the denizens due to inordinate delay in the execution of Smart City works for various reasons.

Among many reasons, there was a Centre v/s State conflict over the funding. While BJP accuses the State government of diverting the project funds to other activities, the latter makes it clear that there was no diversion of the Rs 196.4 crore released by the Centre. It further claims that it had released Rs 182 crore for the developmental works in Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC).

The smart city detailed project report (DPR) prepared by the LEA Associates South Asia Pvt Ltd in Consortium with Pricewaterhouse Coopers Pvt Ltd included 101 components worth Rs 2,306 crore. According to officials, 125 of the 248 components worth around Rs 140 crore have been completed, and many other works with an estimated cost of nearly Rs 700 crore are under execution.

The officials say that several components such as development of gardens, roads, junctions, footpaths and signal lights etc completed under the Smart City Mission were not easily perceivable by the people. One that got the attention of the denizens is the modernisation of Regional Library at Rangampet and Central Library in Hanumakonda. Exactly, the other way around

On the contrary, the smart road between Hanumakonda Chowrasta and Hunter Road via Padmakshi Temple taking ages to complete. Admitting the delay, a top official told The Hans India, "It is one of the most important components under Smart roads, but we were up against a set of problems in executing it, however, it will be completed in a couple of months."

Coming to the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), an essential prerequisite of a smart city which operates and manages multiple city service operations including real time monitoring and improving services delivery efficiency, there was no forward movement by the administration.

Although the tender for the ICCC was floated in December 2017, it was cancelled due to changes in the project. Officials say that they would take up the component very soon. With no takers, the components proposed under the public-private partnership (PPP) remained a big setback. The officials now were planning to take up two solar power projects, an official said.