Abrar Nabi
Srinagar, Jul 21 (KNS): Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said an inquiry will be ordered into the Srinagar Smart City Project once the weather improves, after heavy rains caused widespread waterlogging across the city and inundated the Civil Secretariat.
“The inquiry will be ordered. Let the weather clear first. This is not an ordinary issue. We will conduct a thorough probe and then take collective action,” CM Omar told reporters here as per news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS)
The Chief Minister said the Council of Ministers had already decided in its last meeting to carry out a third-party audit of the project, though the audit is yet to be formally ordered.
“The Cabinet felt there is a gap between what the project intended and its actual position. That is why a third-party audit will be ordered to check its effectiveness,” he said.
CM Omar also questioned the utilisation of Smart City funds, saying that except for the Jhelum riverfront project, it was unclear where the money had been spent.
“Unfortunately, those who conceived and implemented the project are not here to answer. We inherited only about 10 per cent of the work,” he said.
He said the government would use available resources to improve the city’s drainage system, but acknowledged that the decades-old problem could not be resolved overnight.
Compensation will be paid to affected families as per rules after a damage assessment, he added. (KNS)
