Cabinet to decide over granting aid or soft loan of Rs 822 crore aid to CSMC

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

A new water supply scheme worth Rs 2,740 crore is underway to quench the city's thirst. The municipal corporation has to contribute Rs 822 crore (30 percent share) to this scheme. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, after reviewing the progress of water project, instructed officials concerned to table the proposal at the upcoming cabinet meeting.

Fadnavis held the review meeting at his official residence Sahyadri in Mumbai on Wednesday afternoon. The Housing Minister Atul Save, MLA Sanjay Shirsat, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) administrator G Sreekanth, Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) Member Secretary Abhishek Krishna, Chief Engineer Mahesh Patil, Executive Engineer Deepak Koli, CSMC Executive Engineer K M Phalak and Yash Innovation Solutions’ Samir Joshi were present in the meeting.

At the outset, the CSMC administrator Sreekanth provided information about the project through a PPT presentation. The videos showing the current progress of the project were also featured on the occasion. Later on, a discussion on the municipal corporation's Rs 822 crore share in the water supply scheme was held in the meeting. The deputy CM ordered to prepare proposal (providing funds to the municipal corporation through the government) and presenting it in the cabinet meeting. He also underlined the rapid completion of the water supply scheme, emphasizing that the work must be completed within the stipulated time frame. He directed that the overhead water tanks, whose construction has been completed, should be immediately put into use to supply water to the citizens.

Objection from the finance department

The Urban Development Department (UDD) had sent the proposal to the Finance Department regarding the provision of Rs 822 crore to the municipal corporation. However, the Finance Department underlined it would be a policy decision if the state government provided Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation's share in the project approved under the Central Government’s AMRUT-2.0 scheme. Accordingly, the state will have to allocate funds to all municipal corporations for every scheme. Hence, it has suggested the option of a soft loan.