Odisha: Dharmendra Pradhan calls for accelerating Rourkela smart city project

India's Oil and Steel minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday sought the intervention of the Central and the Odisha government for speeding up the Rourkela Smart City Ltd (RSL) stating that only Rs 22.23 crore of the Rs 376 crore sanctioned for the work has so far been spent.

In separate letters to Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Pradhan expressed disappointment over the progress in Rourkela Smart City project work.

"It is a matter of pride that Odisha can count two cities in this marquee programme - Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. As one of the first industrial urban centers in India, Rourkela stands to gain massively from the holistic development enshrined in the Smart City model. I am disappointed to note that the total expenditure incurred by RSL thus far is only Rs 22.23 crore of which Rs 16.37 crore have been spent towards consultancy fees and salaries," the minister said.

"It is unfortunate that four years after the sanction of grants from the Central and state government, RSL has not been able to show significant progress in the project," the letter by the Union Minister read.

"Keeping in mind the welfare of the citizens of Rourkela, I request your personal intervention in expediting the resolution for speeding up the progress of the Rourkela Smart City Project," he urged both the Odisha Chief Minister and the Union Urban Affairs Minister.