The Center also said that seven big ticket projects worth Rs 330 crore are to be awarded to contractors, while two projects worth Rs 40 crore are likely to be tendered in the coming weeks. Minister of State Kaushal Kishor gave this information in a written reply to a question. Rajya Sabha.
When MoHUA selected Panaji in the fast track round in May 2016, Goa had outlined ambitious plans to set up a walking, WiFi hotspot at Church Square. cctv Cameras, revitalizing Mala Lake, creating smart parking and dynamic signaling for traffic, smart metering for water supply, public cycle sharing system and dedicated utility ditch.
However, Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited Only Altinho has been successful in executing beautification projects such as repair of stairs in Mala and other parts of the state capital.
The Rs 63 crore underground power cable laying project at Ribandar started on a good pace but has stalled after the ouster of former chief executive officer Swayamdit Pal Choudhary.
One of the major reasons for the delay in execution of projects was the slowness in transfer of funds by the state government. IPSCDL, which is a special purpose vehicle executing the Smart City Mission in Goa.
In August 2019 and June 2020, MoHUA wrote to the state government and expressed “serious concern” that out of Rs 196 crore released by the Center in 2019, the state government had transferred just Rs 118.2 crore to IPSCDL. Worse, the state had not released any similar grants for the Smart City Mission until the Center pulled up Goa. The Smart City Mission plan requires the Center and the Government of Goa to contribute 50% each for the implementation of the Smart City Project and Operations.
According to MoHUA’s website, Goa has so far transferred Rs 113 crore to IPSCDL as its share in the Smart City Mission.
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