Hyderabad: Expressing unhappiness over the progress in implementing the AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation), the Centre has directed the Telangana government to give full powers to the Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), which are entrusted with the tasking of implementing the AMRUT scheme in the cities in the state.
In a letter to the chief secretary, the Centre has also asked the state government to appoint district collectors as member of the SPVs.
The letter, written by Durga Shanker Mishra, secretary in the Union ministry of housing, to SP Singh, Telangana chief secretary, said, “The smart city mission guidelines envisage that the power to approve projects, call tenders and award tenders are to be delegated to the SPVs. Wherever such powers are given to the SPVs, work has progressed quickly. Wherever projects are to be approved by the state government or the expert finance committee, the projects are delayed.”
The letter further noted that under the smart city mission implementation of the projects is handled by an SPV.
All smart cities should have a city level SPV and its chairperson should be the divisional commissioner, collector, municipal commissioner or the chief executive of the development authority as decided by the state government. The letter also said that the district collector should be made a member of the SPV.
