Amit Katoch
JAMMU, Nov 1: The work on Jammu Smart city project is likely to start next month. Jammu Municipal Corporation Commissioner Ramesh Kumar said the first installment of Rs 200 crore of Rs 3600 crore project is scheduled to be released next month by the Centre.
“The ground work for Smart City project is in final stages and before December the first installment of Rs 200 crore will be released by Government of India,” he told the Excelsior.
Jammu and Srinagar have been selected in the list of the Smart cities to be developed across the country and is one of the flagship programmes of the Modi Government.
The project is aimed to give a better experience in the cities with host of measures and schemes.
Ramesh, who had recently taken over the charge, though agrees to it’s challenging nature.
“The smart City is to be created at the same site within a given and limited space. So managing thickly populated cluster, haphazardously raised and ill planned areas will be a tough task,” he said.
NC MLA and provincial president had on Tuesday criticised the Government for creating Smart city at the same place.
It is pertinent to mention here that Jammu Smart city project would cost Rs 3600 crore including Rs 1600 crore under convergence and Rs 1000 crore under Public Private Parternship (PPP).
JMC commissioner is also the Chief Executive Officer of Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for Smart City Project.
He said the priority is completion of ongoing developmental projects undertaken by JMC under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation( AMRUT) and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
“Under 27 AMRUT projects that are being taken in Jammu, 15 are active and remaining 12 are in the tendering phase “he said .
On High Courts directives for removing encroachments he said that JMC is duty bound to follow and implement court orders.
Commissioner said JMC and JDA are working in synergy over the issue of encroachments and have maintained a tough stand on it.
He, though, admitted that there are some practical issues on creating rehri zones and their relocation. JMC commissioner said 19 rehri zones have been identified and five are in the developing stage.
To regulate the smooth traffic in Jammu city, Kumar said multi-tier parking at Panjtirthi, Peerkho and City Chowk will improve the situation. He said by November end Intelligent Traffic Signal Lights will be operational.
The most important aspect of smart city is solid waste management and the plant for it is coming up at Kot Bhalwal for which JMC is going to float tenders very soon.
Ramesh Kumar stressed to keep liasion with other concerned departments to achieve the desired results within the fixed timelines.
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