Congress slams Centre's smart city project

Vadodara, July 11: Congress on Friday slammed the Centre's recently launched smart city project saying it would not solve "the real issues".

Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) chief Bharatsinh Solanki said, "Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi's project to construct new smart cities across the country would not solve the real issues. It includes Vadodara and other cities of Gujarat."

The former Union minister claimed that allocation of a fund of Rs 40 crore for development of Vadodara as smart city is not sufficient as it will not be enough to construct even a bridge in the city.

"Constructing new smart cities won't solve the problem. The government should instead transform old ones into smart cities," Solanki said while addressing a gathering of party workers.

"If Congress party is voted to power in the elections to various civic bodies including Vadodara Municipal Corporation, it will not levy new taxes and on contrary will lower the civic taxes," he said. Solanki demanded probe into "scam" related to the recruitment of talatis and police constables in the wake of surfacing of Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela also took a dig at "hollow" promises of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA Government He alleged that the present government was a "Hologram Government" which only created illusion of things which were not palpable.

Vaghela said that Modi, who was earlier chief minister of Gujarat, had made hollow promises of "Acche Din". AICC General Secretary Gurudas Kamat said, "Congress party is hopeful of winning civic and panchayat polls to be held in October next.

"As part of this, we have been holding local level sanmelan of party workers all over the state and this exercise was carried out in 15 districts of the state," Kamat said.

PTI