State did not get adequate Smart City fund : Manik Dey

The former Urban Development Minister of the then Left front government  Manik Dey on Saturday questioned Agartala Smart City Mission project works by the 50 months of BJP led coalition government and alleged that the government had failed to receive adequate funds from the Centre for the project.

Addressing a press conference here at Agartala Melarmath party headquarters on Saturday, the former minister said, “during the Left front government, the union ministry of the Urban development had released Rs. 192 crore out of the allocated fund of Rs. 1,000 crore only for Agartala Smart City Project work and in addition to that I believe that the present BJP government could receive Rs. 50-60 crore from the Centre.”

“During the previous Left government, we estimated about Rs. 3,000 crore would be required for the implementation of Smart City project in Agartala. But the Centre had allocated Rs. 1,000 crore only. In addition to this we demanded the Centre for 90:10 ratio of fund under the project. But, refusing our demand, the Centre had released only Rs. 192 crore only for Tripura,” Dey said.

He said, “Despite the present government is highlighting various works under the Agartala Smart City Project, there is a lack of adequate funds for the implementation of the project. Although, it is the responsibility of this government how it would receive funds from the same government at the Centre and ensure proper implementation of the project in Tripura.”

The former minister accused the government of failing to ensure proper works under the project and alleged that starting from the arrangement of drinking water for the people in the Urban areas to various other issues including proper drainage system, proper roads, market stalls for hawkers and running adequate amount of urban city buses were still lying incomplete during the 50 months of this BJP government.

“The Agartala Municipal Corporation had failed to introduce proper planning to free the city from water logging during the 50 months of its tenure,” Dey alleged.       

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