Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada Dinesh Gundu Rao said here on Tuesday that Mangaluru Smart City Limited (MSCL) is lagging in implementing the projects taken up under the Smart City Mission, especially pertaining to waterfront development.
Speaking at a meeting to review the progress of Smart City projects the Minister said that in reality waterfront development projects are yet to take off.
L.K. Atheeq, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Rural Development and Panchayatraj and also in-charge of Dakshina Kannada, said that issues pertaining to Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and removing encroachments on the waterfront development project area are yet to be addressed.
K.S. Aruna Prabha, General Manager (technical), MSCL, told the meeting that the promenade development from Nethravati railway bridge (near Morgan’s Gate) to the Bolar seaface to a distance of 2.1 km can go on without any obstacles. Its works have temporarily lagged behind due to the monsoon.
The Minister questioned the MSCL officials why it took so long to complete some road projects.
Responding to it, Mr. Prabha said that it was mainly due to issues pertaining to land acquisition. Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) will have to make some stretches of land available to the MSCL to complete the road projects.
Mr. Prabha said that as per the original schedule all projects of the company should have been over by June, 2023. As per the extended deadline, some of the projects should be over by this December and some by March, 2024.
However, four projects taken up under public private partnership (PPP) are under progress.
Accordingly, the multi-level car parking facility at Hampankatta should be over by September 1, 2024 and the Central Market complex should be completed by January 16, 2026.
The project relating to changing the conventional street lights in the jurisdiction of Mangaluru City Corporation as LED lights should be over by December 2023 and the project of installing solar panels on the roof top of government buildings should be completed by August 31, 2023.
Mr. Rao asked the officials to complete the projects as per the target and extended target set.
K. Anand, Chief Executive Officer of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat who is the Managing Director (in-charge), MSCL, said that of 55 projects approved under the mission at an estimated cost of ₹930 crore, 32 projects costing ₹350.65 crore have been completed. Another 23 projects costing ₹579.35 crore are under progress. In addition, four projects taken up under the public private partnership at an estimated cost of ₹262.79 crore are under progress.
