The Pune Smart City project, once a beacon of progressive urban development, is now facing an untimely closure due to severe funding shortfalls and implementation challenges. Initially launched in 2016 under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s Smart Cities Mission, the initiative aimed to revolutionise urban infrastructure but has ultimately stumbled.
Over the past eight years, the Pune Smart City Development Corporation Limited (PSCDCL) has managed to deliver 45 projects with a total investment of Rs1,148 crore. Despite these efforts, the project has been marred by financial difficulties and a series of stalled initiatives. Consequently, the responsibility for the remaining Smart City assets is being transferred to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). Additional Commissioner will oversee this transition, ensuring the proper inspection and management of these assets. The ambitious Smart City scheme included significant components such as 157 Variable Message Displays (VMDs), an Integrated Command and Control Centre, and an Adaptive Traffic Management System (ATMS). However, many of these assets are currently non-operational and will also be handed over to the municipal corporation. A thorough evaluation will precede any future tenders for the VMDs, which are anticipated to generate some revenue.
Pune was selected as one of the leading cities in a national competition for Smart City development, with the Baner-Balewadi area earmarked for substantial upgrades. Projects envisioned under this scheme included advanced traffic signal systems, new parks, and the establishment of a Command and Control Centre on Sinhagad Road. Despite these grand plans, the project encountered major setbacks when the government withheld Rs58 crore in interest from allocated funds. This decision disrupted several initiatives and prompted the state’s urban development department to demand the release of these funds. The Pune Smart City initiative’s demise underscores the challenges of implementing large-scale urban transformation projects amidst financial and administrative hurdles. The transition of assets to the PMC marks a significant shift, reflecting the broader difficulties faced by the Smart Cities Mission in realising its ambitious goals.
