Imtiaz Jaleel objects to use of smart city funds for Aurangabad Municipal Corporation

AURANGABAD: A meeting of local-level smart city advisory headed by MP Imtiaz Jaleel was held at the Babasaheb Ambedkar Research Centre (BARC) on Tuesday.
Jaleel, who is also the chairman of the body, expressed dissatisfaction over the use of the smart city project funds by Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) for its own projects.
Jaleel presided over the meeting which saw the presence of MLAs Atul Save and Pradeep Jaiswal, mayor Nandkumar Ghodele, municipal commissioner and Aurangabad Smart City Development Corporation Ltd.(ASCDCL) CEO Astik Kumar Pandey, smart city consultants, industrialists and other office-bearers of the municipal corporation.
The meeting saw a presentation on the progress of the smart city project. The major projects taken up under the smart city include city bus service which is in a joint venture with the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation worth Rs 236.5 crore, master system integrator and e-governance project worth Rs 178 crore, safari park worth Rs 147 crore, improvement in water supply Rs 15 crore and the conservation of nine historic gates.
The ASCDCL received Rs 294 crore funds for the same, of which, only Rs 64 crore have been utilised. The ASCDCL plans to increase the utilisation of funds to Rs 100 crore by March 31.
Jaleel, who is also a member of central government's urban development committee, has previously expressed dissatisfaction over the slow pace of fund utilisation. On Tuesday, the MP said that the smart city funds have been spent to install solar panels on the roof of the AMC building, Rs 15 crore has been spent to improve water supply and Rs 15 lakh were spent to hold summer camp for AMC schools.