State government puts brakes on several urban infra projects
The government has stayed all projects where funds were disbursed to local bodies for the year 2019-2020, but work orders were not issued
The Maharashtra government on Thursday put brakes on several projects under the Urban Development Department (UDD).
The Uddhav Thackeray-led government stayed projects where funds were disbursed to local bodies for 2019-2020 but work orders were not issued.
A government order to the Directorate of Municipal Councils Administration, district collectors and municipal corporations said the state government-funded projects for which work orders have not been issued will be stayed.
“To execute different types of development works in their jurisdiction, all local bodies get special funds from the state. Grants have been released for the current financial year. But all the development works where work order is yet to be issued shall be stopped till the next order,” the order reads.
The newly elected MVA government has sought a list of projects for which work orders have been issued by Friday evening. If details are not sent by Friday, it will be assumed that work orders have not been issued.
Further, if it is found that a work order has been issued but was not mentioned in the list, disciplinary action would be taken against the concerned officials, the directive said.
The development comes two days after CM Thackeray clarified that no major infrastructure projects in the state, especially ones started under the erstwhile BJP-led regime, had been halted.
On a related note, the government is also mulling over merging agencies like Maharashtra Housing & Area Development Authority (MHADA), Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) and sections of the UDD to expedite affordable housing projects in the city.
