In a recent development, the Central Government has released the first installment of the Sultanpur Lodhi smart city to be developed in Kapurthala district in Punjab under the Smart Cities Mission. The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 271.11 crore and the center has released Rs 27.11 crore as the first tranche.
As per the government press release, the expenditure cost will be equally shared by both state and central government and the money will be released in three installments of 20:40:40 ratio.
The release also stated, “The Sultanpur Lodhi Smart City development project is one of the most prominent projects among all other infrastructure programmes to be inaugurated in the city in coming months.”
The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in its letter to the state government, said that the sanction shall be regulated under the provision of General Financial Rules 2017, and the amount has to be used as a tied grant and to be kept as a separate city level grant.
“The project has to be completed in a maximum of three years.” Release added.
The Special Purpose Vehicle appointed for the project along with urban local bodies department of the Punjab government will furnish utilization of the released amount in the prescribed performas as provided in the Smart Cities Mission guidelines.
A state government official further informed that the second and third installment would be released on furnishing of utilisation certificates for at least 75 percent of the composite share of central as well as the state government.
Earlier, the state government had proposed the central government to develop Sultanpur Lodhi, as a heritage city, where Guru Nanak was believed to have spent most of his life to the central government. The NIC had thus approved the historic town’s special development plan.