Karnataka is ready to sanction grants for Smart city with a warning

The State Government is willing to sanction any grant for good projects, but it should misused warned CM. Rs 2,847 crores are being released for the third stage projects of municipality. Civil works in the 18 municipalities and new 38 town municipalities totalling 260 townships. The state and the Central Governments sanctions Rs 500 crores each for Smart City projects. The Centre claims that it is a Unionl Government project.

The State Government is willing to sanction any grant for good projects. But it should not be misused warned the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to legislators and officials reported Kannada Prabha.

He was speaking at the inauguration of municipality third stage projects at the Vidhana Soudha banquet hall on Thursday.  Already for the first and second stage projects of the Municipality Rs 3,264 crore has been released and for the third stage Rs 2,847 crore will be released. 

The State is ready to sanction funds for all cities and towns of the State to provide basic amenities but all projects must be completed within the stipulated time. Only then the tax paid by public can be put to best use, he said.

The CM referred to a rural folk adage that roughly translates to “You bring it I will eat it”.  No family can survive on such principles. It is the same with government too. The government will sanction grants but it should not be “eaten” he advised the officials and ministers.

In Uttara Karnataka open defecation is still in practice. Women have to wait for nightfall to answer nature’s call. He said in his childhood he too faced the same situation. In villages people somehow search and find a place but in towns it is very difficult. This should stop to this generation. The State Government is aiming at making the State free of open defecation by October 2019 by constructing toilets in all 277 townships.

The Central Government sanctions Rs 500 crores for Amrutha Yojana. But the State Government has to match it by giving Rs 500 crores. Even for the Smart City Projects the Central Government gives RS 500 crores but the State Government has to give Rs 500 and the land. But the Central Government claims that it is a Central Government project.

Municipal Administration Minister Eshwar Khandre said a total of Rs 2,447 crores are being distributed to provide drinking water, road improvement, rain water canal improvement, community and public toilets construction, bus stands, market complexes, street lights and other civil works in the 18 municipalities and new 38 town municipalities totalling 260 townships.