A Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report on the implementation of the Smart City Mission (SCM) in Tamil Nadu found that 52 approved projects, valued at Rs 1,602.20 crore were not implemented. It also found that 44 projects valued at Rs 623.86 crore that were not originally planned were implemented.
This was in violation of project guidelines, the report noted. The 52 approved projects were included in the plan after consultation with the public.
The performance audit conducted by the CAG noted that Tamil Nadu faces several shortcomings in the implementation of SCM, including diversion of funds, unplanned projects, delays and lack of operational independence of the Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs).
The SCM was launched by the Union government in 2015 to develop 100 cities. In Tamil Nadu, 11 cities were selected. The audit examined seven of the 11 cities in the state, namely, Chennai, Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Madurai, Tirunelveli, and Tiruppur.
Of the 44 unplanned projects that were implemented, many fell outside the scope of the SCM, the CAG report noted. “Out of these 44, five projects were of routine in nature and should have been implemented by the corporation concerned and 21 projects were implemented outside ABD area indicating the usage of mission funds for projects which are to be executed by the corporation out of their own funds,” it said. ABD stands for Area-Based Development.
Twenty among the 44 projects were implemented in Chennai, four in Coimbatore, three in Madurai, 15 in Tirunelveli, and two in Tiruppur.
The CAG report also found that SCM funds were used to develop projects in regions outside those selected for ABD under the mission. Across the seven sampled cities, 70 such projects valued at Rs 655.43 crore were found.
Besides taking up ineligible projects and executing projects outside the ABD plan, the CAG report also noted instances of delay in project implementation and projects remaining idle after completion. “Some projects were also commenced without mandatory clearances, and suggestions emanating from the City Level Advisory Forum meetings were also not complied with. The above deficiencies largely contributed to the non-achievement of the intended objectives comprehensively,” the report said.
The report said that in six of the sampled cities, the SPVs for the implementation of SCM did not have full-time CEOs. The only exception was Chennai.
In Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, and Tiruppur, 23 of the 70 micro composting centres, constructed at a cost of Rs 48.59 crore, were not functioning. In Salem and Madurai, 211 battery-operated vehicles had remained unserviceable for three to five years.
In Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, and Tiruppur, multi-level car parks with commercial complexes costing Rs 115.92 crore could not be put to use due to incomplete works.
The audit also noted that 93 projects requiring government clearances were started without obtaining the necessary approvals.