GUWAHATI, April 18 - In this time of medical emergency, every department of the Assam government has been working as per their capacity to assist the public. But surprisingly, the Guwahati Smart City Limited (GSCL) with which around Rs 420 crore is lying unused for many days, is yet to play any role during this period of crisis.
�Playing a proactive role during such a crisis situation is a social responsibility of every department and official. But in Guwahati, the smart city project still remains inert despite having a lot of scopes to help the public. We came to know that in some places, the smart city projects are working on the ground. They have installed sanitizer boxes in public places and are also playing a vital role in disinfection drives,� a source at Dispur said.
Sources said the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) recently submitted a proposal to the GSCL to install sanitizer boxes in bus stations and provide electrical fogging machines that will be useful to sanitize its vehicles.
�We have submitted the proposal to the GSCL, but yet to get any response from them. Especially the fogging machines will be very much useful and cost-effective. But in case of installation of sanitizer boxes, we have to take guidance from medical experts,� a source in the ASTC said.
Sources further informed that the GSCL had played a very inactive role during a recently held survey on the ease of living, for which the Union government made the GSCL a nodal agency in Guwahati.
�The aim of the survey was to collect information about different facilities available for the public in a city through a mobile app. In this connection, the GSCL had been directed to carry out mass awareness in Guwahati, but a very little effort had been put in by the GSCL in this regard. During the survey, other smart city projects of the country had shown excellent performance,� the source added.
