State release aid of Rs 1K crore to CSMC for new water scheme

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

In a positive development, the state government granted a fund of Rs 1,068 crore to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) for a new water supply scheme on Monday. Meanwhile, it is assumed that there will be no shortage of funds for the completion of the new water project till March 2024.

This is the first time in the history of the municipal corporation such a huge fund has been sanctioned to the civic body. It has demanded an aid of Rs 811 crore to the state government to clear the outstanding dues of the works done so far, but it has got Rs 200 crore more than the demanded money.

The total cost of the project is Rs 2,740 crore. The State will have to put in 45 per cent share, while the Centre and the Municipal Corporation will have to put in 30 per cent share each. The Centre and the State have jointly released Rs 739.55 crore fund, so far. The CSMC immediately transferred the fund to the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP).

The CSMC has a deposit of Rs 200 crore which was sanctioned for the old parallel pipeline project. This aid had also been utilised for the project.

The CSMC has forwarded a fund of Rs 981.65 crore to MJP, so far. Later on, the MJP urged the CSMC to pay Rs 811 crore. Hence the CSMC administrator G Sreekant wrote a letter to the principal secretary (Urban Development Department) and demanded release of an aid of Rs 811 crore. Hence the state, on Monday, granted the fund of Rs 1,068 crore to CSMC.

Old demand of share in project remains static

The CSMC has to put in a share of Rs 822 crore in the water project. The Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court had also ordered the state government to put in the share of CSMC in the project. However, the state government has not yet given any green signal to it. Hence, after receiving the fund on Monday, the CSMC is hoping that the state government would grant its share also, soon.