Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation,Surat Municipal Corporation didn't seek Railway funds

AHMEDABAD: The Comptroller and Audi tor General (CAG) in his report has stated that Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) failed to avail of funds from the Railway ministry for construction of some overbridges though funding was available.The AMC and the SMC built three and four road over-bridges, respectively , without central assistance.The Railway ministry bears 50% of the project cost of over-bridges but the two corporations did not care to seek this assistance, the CAG report states.
In all, seven road overbridges were built within AMC and SMC limits. CAG observes that 50% of the project cost for these overbriges came to Rs 135 crore. This could have been sought from the Railways but that two civic bodies failed to ask for the money thereby causing the state government massive financial loss, says CAG in its report. In its reply to the CAG, the AMC stated that it could have availed of the central funds but the projects had to be completed urgently . The state government has stated that both the AMC and the SMC will be asked to get financial assistance from the Centre wherever available.
The report further says that the state government had re leased Rs 171 crore to the Gujarat Urban Development Company (GUDC) for construction of road over-bridges or underbridges at level crossings where there is heavy road traf fic, mainly in the municipal corporation area. In all, there were 133 level crossings in the state with heavy traffic as well.
The GUDC had received proposal for 35 projects out of which it cleared 23. Further, for 19 urban local bodies, a grant of Rs 167.77 crore was released.However, of these 23 projects sanction only four were completed between January 2013 and May 2015. Of the remaining 19 projects, five were in progress and work on 14 others projects were not taken up because approval from the ministry of railways was pending for the projects.