With the BJP-led board of Municipal Corporation of Dehradun facing flak from the party for passing the Dehradun smart city proposal contradicting the BJP stance on the project, Dehradun Mayor Vinod Chamoli addressed the media along with municipal councilors here on Friday.
The mayor informed that the proposal for Dehradun smart city submitted by the State authorities had been accepted by the Ministry. In case it is selected among the first 20 cities to receive funds for executing the project, construction work would start only after approval from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Urban Development.
Chamoli said that various aspects as per the Centre’s guidelines had been taken into consideration in the drafting of the smart city proposal. If shortlisted in the list of first 20 cities, the detailed project report for Dehradun smart city would be prepared jointly by the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) and the Uttarakhand Housing and Urban Development Authority (UHUDA).
He said that the required quorum had been met in the MCD board meeting when the proposal was unanimously passed after the board members were informed about the pros and cons of the plan. Expressing concern at confusing statements being made regarding the smart city project in Dehradun, the mayor averred that the MCD board had fulfilled its responsibility while the final decision will rest with the Central Government.