Firhad Hakim slams Asansol mayor Jitender Tiwari
Asansol Municipal Corporation Chairman Jitendra Tiwari has written a letter to West Bengal Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim saying that funds allotted by the central government under the Smart city project to the tune of Rs 2000 crore were stopped due to political reasons.
FollowAsansol Municipal Corporation Chairman Jitendra Tiwari has written a letter to West Bengal Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim saying that funds allotted by the central government under the Smart city project to the tune of Rs 2000 crore were stopped due to political reasons.
Jitendra Tiwari wrote in his letter, “Being born and brought up as a responsible citizen of Asansol and performing the responsibilities of the Urban Local Body of this city as a Chairman, Mayor & Administrator from past several years I am very grieved to state you that our city was chosen by the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India under Smart City Mission Project which if would have been allowed by you our city could have received funds amounting 2000 crores which would be very crucial for development of our city.”
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“Asansol was chosen under this project as a result of tremendous work effort of Councilors and entire team of AMC leading to being qualified as a city to be chosen under this but due to political reasons we were not allowed to get the benefits of this project by the State Government,” he added in the letter.
It was instead promised that funds will be made available by the State Government for overall development of this city but it was not done. Similarly under Solid Waste Management project Asansol City could have received another 1500 crores fund by the Central Government like several other cities in our country but you and your department have not allowed us to get the benefits of these Central Government Funds due to which I feel that injustice has been made to the city of Asansol,” it further read.
In the letter, it was also written that several project reports under Asansol Municipal Corporation have not been approved by the state urban development department.
The letter ends by saying, “Therefore with lot of pain I am writing you this letter requesting you to kindly allow Asansol Municipal Corporation to get benefits being provided by Central Government or State Government provide equivalent funds for development of our beloved city Asansol as a rectification of ill deeds on your part towards Asansol.”
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In response to the letter, Firhad Hakim said, “I have given money for many projects to Jitender Tiwari. He didn’t mention all those. I don’t know why he wrote the letter. I have gone to his ward many times. He has never spoken to me about all these.”
After the letter came to light, Firhad hakim raised said, “I don't know how BJP's IT cell got Jitender's letter. Spying is the work of BJP's IT cell. A party without policy. Farmers are dying, anarchy is going on. The BJP is not saying anything about them. The municipality has no initiative with the smart city project. Jitender did not talk to me about it. The state government pays 50 percent of the 100 percent for the smart city project. The center does not pay the full amount all the time. I have talked a lot with Jitender. But he did not say anything about it.”
