Thiruvananthapuram:
IPE Global, the project management consultant (PMC) for the
Smart City project faces a challenging task having to submit detailed project reports (DPRs) for fast track projects by Saturday.
The city corporation had expressed displeasure over the failure in meeting deadline which was earlier set on August 31.
The PMC had, however, faced practical difficulties in preparing situation analysis report owing to bad weather in August.
The PMC is learnt to have submitted tender documents for two projects by Thursday evening. Twelve projects were included in first quarter as fast track projects of which two projects; public bicycle sharing and e-autorickshaw have been temporarily put off. The herculean task of submitting the documents for eight of the remaining projects before the end of Saturday stares at the PMC.
Officials associated with the project said that elaborate consultation with motor vehicles department would be required before e-auto project could be taken to implementation stage.
“Many aspects of the project like charging stations need to be figured out and for that a collaborative effort involving various departments is required, hence the project has now been put off. Land would also be a major factor for the project as charging stations need to be set up,” officials said.
The PMC is supposed to do situation analysis report, feasibility report and
DPR for every project under four different quarters.
Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Limited (SCTL) is looking forward to getting projects like upgradation of existing public toilets, cultural street, redesign of bus stops, open gym and interactive information kiosks in the next three months.
Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Limited (SCTL) will have to put a set of things together in the coming days as M Beena, CEO, will go on leave from Friday. P Balakiran director of tourism will hold full additional charge of CEO, SCTL. This would be the second time CEO of SCTL gets replaced as K Gopalakrishan had earlier been replaced in 2017.
The long pending issue of filling of key managerial positions has been resolved as general manager and chief financial officer have been appointed following the third round of interview. In June, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had fixed May 2019 as deadline for Thiruvananthapuram to have its Smart City projects get into implementation mode.
Medium and long-term projects included under quarter 3 and 4 are expected to consume more time and with deadlines already being missed, the SPV will have to work together with PMC at enhanced pace to get the projects on implementation mode.
