Centre assures early release of funds for Shillong smart city

NEW DEHI: Union Minister for Urban Development HS Puri on Saturday assured that pending funds for Smart City Shillong will soon be released.
His assurance came when Meghalaya Minister for Health and Information A L Hek and Minister for Urban Affairs Hamlet Dohling met him and reiterated the demand. Shillong was announced as the 100th Smart City of India in June last year.
The state government has long been demanding that the Centre should share the burden of investment by adopting the 90:10 ratio (90 per cent by the Centre and 10 per cent by the state). The duo reiterated the state’s demand against 50:50 ratio.
The state minister also discussed a few projects under AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) scheme. Puri also urged Meghalaya to submit the full project proposal for the Smart City scheme.
Puri said Shillong will change with uninterrupted power and water supplies, internet connectivity, e-governance along with quality infrastructure under the scheme.
Later in the evening, Hek accompanied by Christopher Rani held a meeting with the Minister of Tourism K J Alphons at his residence and discussed the prospects of tourism in the state particularly under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme which was recently launched in the state.
They also discussed the upcoming National Games that will be hosted by the state in 2022.
Alphons said that the Centre would provide assistance to the state after the final submission of the project to it.
The 100 Smart Cities Mission was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015.
Under the mission, the Centre allocates Rs 500 crore to each of the cities for implementing projects proposed by it. This amount is matched with a grant of the same amount by the respective states.