Avinash Azad
MLA Bahu Ch. Vikram Randhawa tore into the J&K government in Monday’s Legislative Assembly session, demanding answers on the expenditure incurred Jammu Smart City Limited Project.
With Rs. 815.37 crore already sunk into the initiative, Randhawa sought a breakdown of contractors, agencies, and completion timelines, only to be met with a curt government reply: “Expenditure incurred, including A&E.” No names, no specifics—just a hefty bill.
Probing deeper, Randhawa extracted that the Centre had pumped Rs. 830.98 crore into the project since 2018-19, with Rs. 815.37 crore spent. But when pressed on corruption allegations and complaints, the government downplayed the mess: 400 gripes about DON plates (350 resolved), 300 e-bus ticketing and staff misconduct issues (285 penalized), and 16 scattered infrastructure woes—all conveniently “resolved.”
No major scandals, they claimed, despite whispers of mismanagement dogging the mission. The MLA’s final jab—details on the 59-strong staff, including the CEO—yielded little beyond a headcount. The government’s evasiveness has fueled outrage, with critics branding the Smart City dream a cash cow for cronies, leaving Jammu’s streets smarter on paper than in reality.
