SHILLONG: The state government has decided to go ahead with the Smart City project despite the opposition pointing out the possible hurdles in the Assembly on Tuesday.
In reply to a query by Congress’s PT Sawkmie during the question hour, Urban and Municipal Affairs Minister Hamlet Dohling said the government is taking steps to constitute a special purpose vehicle (SPV), increase manpower and delegate financial power to the SPV.
The project for Shillong was approved on June 20.
Replying to a supplementary query on more central allocation than the existing funding pattern of 50:50 and the source of funding, Dohling said Hardeep Singh Puri, MoS with independent charge of Housing and Urban Affairs, was positive about the government’s proposal in this regard during his meeting with Chief Minister Conrad Sangma in Delhi.
“We are waiting for final communication from the ministry,” he said.
According to Dohling, there is a provision for special fund allocation for northeastern states under the Ministry of Finance as per the meeting of the sub-group of chief ministers in 2015 and the funding of the core scheme can be on 90:10 or 80:20 pattern as special consideration.
To a supplementary question by Ampareen Lyngdoh (Congress), Dohling said the total project cost is Rs 1,039 crore and the components are urban mobility, clean-green livable neighbourhood, environment protection, tourism initiatives and retrofitting of existing infrastructure.
When bombarded with queries on the funding pattern, the chief minister admitted that “it is an issue” but expressed optimism to carry on with the 100th Smart City project for Shillong announced by the Centre.
Stating that the project can be implemented in public-private partnership (PPP), build-operate-transfer (BOT) modes, he said, “Last time when we met the Union minister, he gave us positive indications that they would be supporting us in different ways other than the 50:50 share.”
Later, Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma asked the chief minister to clarify on the term “different ways”.
Observing that Mukul had been chief minister for eight years, Conrad later said, “He knows what is meant by different ways. I don’t have to tell him.”
Mukul criticises secrecy
Conrad told the opposition members that they can rest assured that the state government is working on the project and that the meeting with the union minister was positive and there were “certain confidential matters” that he would not like to discuss in the Assembly.
At this point, Mukul took exception to the word “confidential” and asked the chief minister on what rules of procedure and conduct of the Assembly that the chief minister is maintaining secrecy.
“It is unprecedented to withhold any information to the members. Which secrecy he is referring to,” Mukul said.
Conrad replied that more discussion on the project was needed and he “cannot make any statement until the discussions fructify”. He maintained that the government was committed to the project.
However, Mukul asked about the section of the Assembly rule that debars the House from knowing the details of the project.
At this point, Speaker Donkupar Roy intervened and said, “The discussion on the project by the government is incomplete and there is no question of secrecy.”
