Vadodara city may not be smart, but its VMC is, spent ₹ 748 crore under smart city initiatives.

The main objective of the Smart Cities Mission was to provide the best quality physical infrastructure using advanced technology. Providing equal access to social infrastructure and mobility, enhancing the quality of life for the citizens, making smart use of the potential of Vadodara city, enhancing the economy of Vadodara, protecting ecology and creating a futuristic global city with a focus on preserving the identity and culture of the city. 100 cities in the country were covered under the Smart City Mission. This included the city of Vadodara.

The central government has decided to give 50 per cent grant to Vadodara city for smart cities. While 25 per cent of the grant is to be withdrawn by the state government and the remaining 25 per cent by the municipality itself. A total expenditure of Rs 980 crore was estimated under various projects of smart city. In which the central government will give Rs 490 crore and the state government government will give Rs 245 crore at 25 per cent. While the remaining ₹245 crore contribution will be the municipality's own. So far the central government has allocated Rs 392 crore only for various smart city projects. Against this the municipality contributed ₹195 crore and the state government also contributed ₹195 crore. A total of Rs 748 crore has been spent on a total of 23 projects so far. Five of these 23 projects are still underway.

It is worth noting that the smart city mission was shown to the citizens of Vadodara city on a sunny day? Nothing like that is seen. Even after spending crores of rupees under the smart city, today the citizens do not get adequate facility of city buses. Today the city bus service runs under the Smart City. Which costs the municipality an estimated Rs 1.5 crore a month.

Roads have been constructed at a cost of crores of rupees under smart cities, but there have been pressures. There are no zebra crossing places. Even though rs 58 crore has been spent on smart street lights, the road does not get the kind of light it needs. The extent is that even today, many areas of the city do not have street lights. Although rs 5 crore has been used behind the prevention system to avoid pressure in the municipal space, there are pressures in many green plots and spaces of the municipality today. Surprisingly, around ₹100 crore has been spent on Urban Mobility (City Bus Service - Via VGF), but after spending this, how much facility did the citizens get? Smart city contractors don't make any fuss about it.