Build smart cities, but root out graft
A single-member panel formed by the Tamil Nadu government to probe implementation of the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) projects is likely to submit a report in three months. Serious charges of irregularities and corruption during the previous regime had forced the Stalin government to pause and initiate a course correction.
The project, financing of which is done equally by the Centre and state governments, was flagged off in June 2015, but faced several challenges, the latest being the Covid-19 pandemic. The implementation deadline was extended to June 2023. The Centre had chosen 100 smart cities, with TN topping the chart with 11 cities. The objective of the mission is to provide core infrastructure and enhance the quality of life of citizens. Projects under SCM ranged from water supply to solid waste management, and roads and housing. In TN, a lot of money has already been ploughed into SCM projects.
While the Centre sanctioned Rs 5,390 crore and released Rs 3,969 crore, the TN government sanctioned Rs 5,500 crore and released another Rs 4,000 crore. But the projects faced several roadblocks. Beyond the serious charges of corruption at various levels of administration, there were management-related issues such as non-existence of advisory forums and the absence of chief executives. Even Chennai and Coimbatore, which were chosen in the first round, are nowhere near completion. According to data provided by Lok Sabha in March 2020, both cities have completed a shade below 50% of the projects, while other places are lagging far behind.
A major grouse was that before carrying out the projects, the authorities failed to take the people on board. Chennai had laid a smart footpath in T Nagar, but the area gets inundated in rains. What T Nagar needed was stormwater drains. Similarly, people on ECR are demanding drainage facilities while the corporation constructs stormwater drains that in turn affect water aquifers in the area and prevent natural draining of floodwater. The panel report will help the government to start afresh, with basic infrastructure and quick implementation being given priority.