Dimapur, Feb. 9 (EMN): The total amount of funds that has been sanctioned for the Kohima Smart City Project is INR 198 crore out of which INR 113 crore has been released. This was stated in a minister’s reply to the opposition during an earlier session of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
The question hour of the fifth session of the thirteenth Nagaland Legislative assembly had opened with legislator Yitachu posing queries about the progress of projects that have been undertaken so far as part of the Kohima Smart City Project.
He had asked the minister-in-charge of the Municipal Affairs department to state the total amount of funds that had been sanctioned for the Kohima Smart City Project and how much of it had been released till date, the IPR reported.
The government publicity agency the department of Information and Public Relations (IPR) gave updates on Friday to the media stating the session details.
The minister in-charge of the Municipal Affairs department, Metsubo Jamir, in reply to the queries of the opposition legislator stated that the total amount of funds that had been sanctioned for the Kohima Smart City Project was INR 198 crore out of which INR 113 crore had been released till date.
According to the IPR, he stated that the Kohima Municipal Council and the Smart City office were the only projects completed so far. The list of projects which are still in progress were also highlighted, the IPR stated.
Also, the Leader of Opposition TR Zeliang made supplementary queries on the issue regarding matters about diversion of funds from the Smart City Project ‘without proper written approval from the center,’ the IPR stated, to fund projects such as the multi-level car parking at the old Medical Directorate and old NST, and the capital cultural hall which was started under different project plans and left incomplete.’
He stressed on the fact the Kohima Smart City Project “might come under jeopardy owing to such fund diversions without proper written approval from the center,” the IPR reported.
The minister in-charge Metsubo Jamir replied to the questions put forth by the Leader of Opposition and said the diversion of funds were ‘done with proper approval of the state government,’ and also after assessing the need for proper parking facilities in the state capital to ease traffic congestion, the IPR stated.
‘He further acknowledged the need to get proper written approval from the center for such fund diversions and promised the house that the concerned department would look into the issue and get the written approval from the center at the earliest,’ the IPR stated.
