Maharashtra govt introduces provisions for timely completion of AMRUT, Nagarotthan works

Mumbai, Aug 21 (PTI) The Urban Development Department of Maharashtra government has introduced several important provisions to ensure infrastructure projects under the Centre's AMRUT Mission and Nagarotthan Mega Mission are completed on time.

A statement by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's office said a government resolution on this has been issued on Thursday. Shinde heads the crucial Urban Development and Housing departments.

According to the new provisions, while granting extensions for completing projects, contractors will be required to submit realistic planning.

Furthermore, if necessary approvals from the National Highways Authority, Public Works Department, Forest Department, are not received on time, follow-up will be carried out directly at the departmental level, it said.

"It has been clearly stated that if projects are not completed within the stipulated time, accountability will be fixed and strict action will be taken against those responsible," the statement said attributing the decisions to Shinde.

"This move will accelerate projects under AMRUT 2.0 and Nagarotthan, bring greater transparency, and most importantly, ensure accountability," the statement said.

If projects are not completed within the given time frame, action will be taken against the concerned contractors, project management consultants, or implementing officials, the statement added.

Approval has been granted for appointing a new Project Development and Management Consultant (PDMC) for the AMRUT Mission, and until then, the existing PDMC will continue to function. All contracts and work orders will have to be executed strictly as per the standards laid down by the government, it said.

The 'Maharashtra Suvarna Jayanti Nagarotthan Mahabhiyan' scheme aims to support municipal bodies not falling under the JNNURM scheme. It attempts to raise the standard of living of people in smaller cities by improving transportation, solid waste management, water supply and eliminating slums.

It further stated it has been made mandatory for all institutions to submit monthly reports to the government, for which a specific format will be provided.

Similarly, a separate project management cell will be set up for the Nagarotthan Mega Mission, and a dedicated portal will be developed on the lines of AMRUT 2.0 Mission.

Additionally, it has been made mandatory to update the information on the AMRUT 2.0 portal every 15 days. For this, a nodal engineer will be appointed in each institution, and if the information is not updated on time, action will be taken against the concerned officials, the statement said. PTI PR BNM