Srinagar, Jul 23 (KNO): The Government of India on Thursday said that 157 out of 161 projects (98 per cent) under the Srinagar Smart City Mission have been completed as of March 31, 2026, with works worth Rs 3,530 crore executed out of the total sanctioned cost of Rs 3,633 crore.
Replying to an unstarred question by MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu, as reported by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said the Smart City Proposals (SCPs) are planned at the local level after consultations with citizens and other stakeholders and are approved by the State High Powered Steering Committee (HPSC).
The minister said the projects have been designed to address local urban requirements across multiple sectors, including smart mobility, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), smart governance, smart energy and environment. As reported by Srinagar Smart City Limited, 157 projects have been completed while the remaining four are yet to be finished.
The query had sought details on whether the Centre had taken cognisance of the widespread waterlogging and flood-like situation witnessed in Srinagar after recent rainfall despite substantial expenditure under the Smart City Mission, whether the project included works related to storm-water drainage, flood mitigation and urban water management, the reasons for continued waterlogging despite Smart City works, and whether any technical audit or accountability mechanism had been initiated to assess the quality and effectiveness of the drainage infrastructure.
In its reply, the ministry did not provide project-wise details on storm-water drainage, flood mitigation works or an assessment of the causes of recent waterlogging. Instead, it stated that Smart City proposals were formulated based on local needs and that the projects covered various urban sectors, including WASH.
On the issue of audits and accountability, the Centre said that under the Companies Act, 2013, the audit of Smart City Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) is conducted by the State Auditor General. It added that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has established a multi-level monitoring mechanism for implementation of the Smart Cities Mission.
According to the ministry, project implementation is monitored at the national level by an Apex Committee headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, at the State/UT level by the High Powered Steering Committee chaired by the Chief Secretary, and at the city level through the Smart City Advisory Forum (SCAF), which facilitates coordination and collaboration among stakeholders—(KNO)