Smart City project is a non-starter in Nashik

The smart city mission in Nashik has been a non-starter. Despite receiving a two-year extension, the Smart City Corporation is accused of half-baked improvement of roads and renovation of the theatre. A whopping Rs 17 crore were spent on developing the one kilometre stretch between Trimbak Naka to Ashok Stambh but the quality has left much to be desired.

The controversial tenure of Prakash Thavil as the CEO has come to an end. His five-year tenure had little to show and the Greenfield development scheme on 350 acres in Makhmalabad, installation of CCTV cameras and ‘one-city-one-app’ schemes are yet to be completed.

Nashik Municipal Commissioner Ramesh Pawar has now sought permission to divert funds for smart schools, a weather station and other IT based schemes. For the past three months the board of directors has not met. Former NMSCDCL president Sitaram Kunte has retired from government service and Anand Limaye has been appointed in his place.

(This article was first published in National Herald on Sunday.)