Smart City: 51 projects worth Rs 1,051 cr undertaken, 42 completed: Parl reply

Till date, Rs 411 cr central funds utilised; 9 projects amounting to Rs 202 cr ongoing: Union Min

Special Correspondent

Panaji: No violations have been reported to the central government regarding the Panaji Smart City projects, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu said on the first day of the reconvened budget session of the Parliament on Monday. As of March 4, 2025, the project has claimed Rs 441 crore in central financial assistance under the Smart Cities Mission (SCM), with Rs 411 crore already utilised, he said.

Sahu, replying to a related question from the Goa Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, Sadanand Shet Tanavade, said that Panaji Smart City has undertaken 51 projects amounting to Rs 1,051 crore, out of which 42 projects amounting to Rs 849 crore have been completed. “Furthermore, nine projects amounting to

Rs 202 crore are ongoing,” he said, adding, “On the requests received from States/ Union Territories, the government of India has extended the SCM up to March 31, 2025 for completion of its all ongoing projects.”

“As informed by Panaji Smart City, the finalisation of tenders and short-listing of contractors/ agencies are made based on the technical and financial rules in the state; no violations have been reported to government of India, till date,” he said.

Sahu, in the written reply, said that as apprised by the Panaj Smart City, the challenges encountered in implementing the projects included, inter alia, delay in obtaining clearances from different departments, land acquisition, ground water issues, seasonal rains, challenges in vendor and resource availability in city, and procurement of construction material.

“The city has taken various steps to expedite works like deployment of additional manpower, working in three shifts, close supervision by concerned department etc,” he said.

He said to address public grievances arising from dust pollution, traffic congestion, road conditions and safety concerns, the Special Purpose Vehicle had taken several measures including, inter-alia, provisioning of alternative routes, daily updates on road diversions published in newspapers and on the official website, proper signage and barricading for smooth traffic flow and pedestrian safety, regular water spraying in construction zones, covering construction materials, temporary road repairs and adequate lighting, and finally, installing reflectors and warning signs.