Key Takeaways
- Several Smart Cities Mission projects in Puducherry remain uncommissioned months after completion.
- Out of 82 sanctioned projects, 57 are completed, but delays in public use have caused public discontent.
- The deadline for commissioning remaining projects was recently extended to March 2025, after which the state will be responsible for further execution.
Delays in Smart City Projects in Puducherry
Puducherry’s Smart Cities Mission has encountered significant delays as multiple projects remain uncommissioned long after their completion. Initially, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs sanctioned various projects worth ₹1,056 crore in 2017, but the budget was later reduced to ₹612 crore. So far, 82 projects have been sanctioned, with only 57 completed.
Several key initiatives, such as the enhancement of the Botanical Garden, the reconstruction of the Rajiv Gandhi bus terminus, the restoration of Calve College Government School, and housing projects in Chinnayapuram and Kumaragurupallam, are finished, yet are not in public use. Notably, Calve College’s restoration wrapped up on October 26, 2024, and the bus terminus was completed by December 15, 2024. Public frustration is growing amid prolonged delays in launching these facilities.
Originally set for June 2024, the deadline for commissioning the pending projects was pushed to March 2025. Following three extensions, the mission’s operations will conclude on March 31, 2025, with state governments tasked with any further completions thereafter.
Concerns have been raised regarding the poor progress, as exemplified by the nearly finished stormwater drains along Petit Canal Street and Murungapakkam, where 95% of the work has been completed, yet 5% has stalled for over a year. An anonymous official from the Puducherry Smart City Development Limited commented on the ongoing delays, indicating that the completed projects were slated for inauguration in January. The reasons for the holdup remain unclear.
Additionally, construction of a mini stadium at Anna Thidal and the development of an Urban Forest Trail at Swadeshi Mills face similar delays, with projected completions now expected only by May. The Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) responsible for executing smart city projects is also set to dissolve soon, raising questions about the future management and maintenance of the completed works.
These ongoing challenges highlight not only the impact on infrastructure development but also the growing impatience among residents and political representatives for effective project execution and timely commissioning of essential services.
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