As per the direction of Central Government, the Belagavi Smart City Limited (BSCL) has started handing over completed projects to the Belagavi City Corporation (BCC).
According to Officials, Belagavi Smart City Limited (BSCL) handed over total of 62 Smart bus shelters to Belagavi City corporation on conditions. 10 smart bus shelters in phase-1, 21 smart bus shelters in phase-2 and 31 smart bus shelters in phase-3 along with food kiosks have been tranferred in the month of August 2021 (Last year).
As per the agreement, From the date of tranfer, It is responsibility of Belagavi City Corporation to manage these bus shelters. However BCC authorities have failed to maintain even single bus shelter in the city.
The new bus shelter are now in a dilapidated condition, Many of these shelters are surrounded by grass/weeds, it seems that many unorganised players have got a free platform for promotion purposes, a spot for vendors to sell street food and even a shelter for the homeless.
- Advertisement -
Power supply to some of these bus shelters have been cut as City Corporation has failed to pay bills. As a result, Most of these bus shelters are in dark with information display boards-off.
Authorities have also failed to generate revenue from these bus shelters which has provision for advertisement and food kiosks.
Lakhs of tax-payers money spent on construction of bus shelters at various places by the Belagavi Smart City Limited (BSCL) is going to waste as these bus shelters are not being maintained and are now in total dilapidated condition.
The smart city mission was launched in 2015 as a dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A total 100 cities were selected including Belagavi in the first phase under the smart city project and it was expected that these cities would complete the projects till 2021. However due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the mid-term review by the Niti Aayog, the deadline for the smart city mission was extended till June 2023.
