Expedite smart city projects: Corpn

Coimbatore: The contractors carrying out smart city projects have been asked to speed up the work.Race Course Road work,

Krishnampathy

lake development and Periyakulam lake development works are yet to achieve the desired pace, corporation commissioner

Raja Gopal

Sunkara said. “An architect hired to suggest better planning for the incomplete portions of lakes development projects had suggested some modifications. Works are being carried out based on the modifications suggested by the architect. Compared to the earlier plan, the modified plan will have less concrete coverage on the banks of the water body,” he said.Construction of the multi-level car parking at

RS Puram

, which was taken up at a cost of 41.67 crore, has been completed. “We are awaiting approval from the directorate of town and country planning to inaugurate it,” Sunkara said.The ongoing investigation into the smart city projects will not affect the progress of smart city works, the commissioner said. Early this month, the state government had ordered an inquiry led by former IAS officer P W C Davidar into major flaws in implementation and extent of deviation in smart city projects.Projects such as the multi-level car parking, Race Course Road and those at Periyakulam,

Valankulam

, Kurichi and Krishnampathy should have been completed before the end of 2021, said a senior corporation official. “Works were delayed due to the third wave of the pandemic and urban local body elections. The commissioner is now monitoring the progress of the projects. Contractors and officials are being pulled up for delay,” he said.