AGARTALA, Aug 19 (TIWN): If Agartala has to be enable to smart city, central has to be agreed to the proposal of 90:10 sharing of funds for the implementation of Smart city project in Agartala. Talking to TIWN correspondent, Urban Development Minister Manik Dey said that 90:10 proportion of funding is acceptable for Modi Govt's SMART City project as Agartala was selected under the 13 top urban cities which are now set for conversion into SMART city. Minister Manik Dey further said that he has written a letter to Union Ministry to allocate fund on 90:10 ratio for implementation of smart city project in the city. It is to be mentioned here that in the Inter-State Council (ISC) meeting in New Delhi on Saturday last after a hiatus of 10 years CM Manik Sarkar in a meeting with Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, objected the decision of his ministry regarding 50:50 sharing of capital investment between Centre and State for implementation of smart city project.

This is the decision of the Narendra Modi government that in Northeast all the central project will be implemented on 90:10 ratio and so far it has maintained. But suddenly in case of smart city development project ministry has changed the norms, which put the state in serious trouble.

In the second phase, Agartala city has been included in smart city plan along with 13 other cities and each city selected in different rounds of competition will be given central assistance of Rs 200 crore in the first year and Rs 100 crore each during the subsequent three financial years.

In case of smart city project, the ministry had said that State governments and respective urban local bodies will provide matching funds to the same amount. However, the state government sharply reacted to the proposal of 50:50 ratio.

It is to be mentioned here that state was  taking initiative towards the Smart city project but as soon as the central Govt. announced that Agartala city has been selected among top 13 SMART Cities, the state govt. showing disinterest into the project, and showing various reasons behind ‘Not To convert Agartala into a Smart City’ as the funding proposal of 90: 10 was implemented by the central.

But question arises, whereas other states are ready to share fund for the sake of City upgradation, why Tripura Govt. is too much upset? From railway to NH8-44 central had poured the state govt with funds, but only for city upgradation when the government is hesitating for launching of the ‘SMART City’ idea.