Srinagar: The Srinagar Smart City project has been hit by accusations of corruption worth crores of rupees. The Anti-Corruption Bureau has booked two employees associated with the project for disproportionate assets. The Anti-Corruption Bureau J&K is now looking at the other works under the project and has started an investigation.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau J&K registered enquiries related to misappropriation of Devri Stones and use of substandard material in the Srinagar Smart City Project. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) at Police Station Anti-Corruption Bureau Srinagar following reliable inputs indicating the misappropriation of funds for materials, including Devari Stones, Path Tiles, Iron Grilles, etc. in Srinagar City. The material for the revamp and beautification under the Srinagar Smart City project is suspected to have been either unaccounted for or allegedly sold in the open market for personal gains.
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The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) also registered 2nd Preliminary Enquiry (PE) No. 02/2025 in Police Station Anti-Corruption Bureau Srinagar with regard to use of substandard material in ongoing development work at Foreshore Road Nishat in Srinagar City for cycle track, footpath facing Dal Lake, viewing decks, etc. from Nishat up to Naseem Bagh PHC (Public Health Centre). The officers of Srinagar Smart City, in connivance with the beneficiary contractor, also deliberately avoided the mandatory procedures, thereby compromising the quality of work.
“I think it’s very unfortunate and should not have happened. We already had doubts regarding the same, as the work was done with such pace and hurry and the many norms were flouted. I had addressed a presser on the same, which was criticised by the opponents. I had said that it’s not a smart city but a small city, they made the city look shabby, and it was all done in a shady way. You look at it as the construction is already in a bad state; the stones are coming out. We have to take everyone on board and consult before making anything. They ruined the Polo View Market,” said Salman Sagar, MLA Hazratbal, National Conference.
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The Srinagar Smart City Project is part of the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) project of the Government of India. The project for Srinagar was approved in April 2017 with a budget of over Rs 3535 crore for area-based development and other urban solutions, including road and transport.
“The smart city project was working very well as they renovated parts of the city, including the Clock Tower, which has become the main attraction, but now the corruption cases being exposed have shocked everyone. In today’s digital age, these officers who do bungling should be taken to task. It’s our tax money that is being used for these projects, and these officers even do corruption in these cases. If these officers had some fear, they would never have done this. The LG administration should look into this. Strict action should be taken against these officers,” said Muneer, a local resident.
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The cases were registered following a secret inquiry by the ACB into the allegations against the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Executive Engineer.
The CFO has been booked under Section 13(1)(b) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The Executive Engineer has also been found to be involved in committing an offence under Section 13(1)(b) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
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The Smart City Mission was launched by the Ministry of Urban Development (MOUD) Government of India, in which 100 cities were selected for urban renewal and retrofitting.