Karnataka is facing challenges in meeting the June 2023 deadline set by the Central Government for the completion of Smart City projects. Out of the seven cities chosen for the initiative launched in 2015, Bengaluru and Mangaluru are significantly behind schedule, while work in other cities is progressing at varying stages of completion.
Data from the urban development department, responsible for overseeing the projects, reveals that the work in other cities across the state is nearing completion, with over 80% of the projects finished. However, the completion rates for Bengaluru and Mangaluru stand at only 68% and 56% respectively. In the past two years, Karnataka has received Rs 460 crore under the mission, including the state’s share of Rs 215 crore.
BA Basavaraj, the urban development minister, attributes the slow pace to legal obstacles and delays in obtaining approvals from nodal agencies. He stated that 11 works in seven cities have been affected, making it impossible to complete these projects by June 2023. The state government has communicated the delay to the Centre and sought approval to extend the deadline until April 2024.
A total of 651 projects were launched under the Smart City mission, and as of February 2023, 522 projects have been completed, with another 127 in progress. Two projects are currently at the tendering stage. Among the cities, Tumakuru has the highest completion rate at 88%, followed by Shivamogga (82%) and Belagavi (81%). Davanagere and Hubballi-Dharwad have reached 80% completion each.
Bengaluru ranks sixth with a completion rate of 68.2%, while Mangaluru lags behind at a meager 56.4%. The Bangalore Smart City project (BenSCL) has undertaken a total of 44 projects, of which 30 have been completed. Minister Basavaraj expressed hope that the remaining projects are in the final stages and require only finishing touches, indicating the government’s optimism in completing them before the deadline.
Efforts are underway to address the legal hurdles and secure necessary approvals to expedite the completion of the remaining projects. While Karnataka faces challenges in meeting the June deadline, the state government is committed to delivering the Smart City projects and ensuring their successful implementation in the near future.
